The Wausau Fire Department’s division chief of emergency medicine services was arrested Thursday and charged with misconduct in public office for allegedly stealing fentanyl and another painkiller.
Jared J. Thompson, 46, of Rothschild, was charged with three felony counts of misconduct in public office and two counts of misdemeanor theft, according to a statement from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation.
The DOJ launched an investigation into Thompson after the fire department raised concerns about his conduct.
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According to the DOJ statement, Thompson was solely responsible for ordering controlled substances for the department. The criminal complaint alleges that between Jan. 1 and June 16, about 486 vials of the painkiller hydromorphone and about 612 vials of fentanyl purchased for the department were unaccounted for or diverted. In 2023, the department had purchased a total of 11 vials of hydromorphone and 92 vials of fentanyl.
The DOJ said the fire department is cooperating with the investigation.
A statement from Fire Chief Jeremy Kopp called Thompson’s actions “a grave breach of public trust.”
According to the statement, the fire department notified law enforcement and city officials after department staff “raised concerns about the possible misuse of a controlled substance.”
“In response to this incident, we initiated a thorough review of our policies, procedures and training. We have already implemented stronger safeguards and enhanced oversight to ensure accountability,” Kopp said.
Kopp told WPR that Thompson has been on leave since the investigation began. He said Thompson originally joined the department in 2003 and, with the exception of a two or three-year period, has been with the fire service ever since.
In a statement, Wausau Mayor Doug Diny said he supports Kopp’s leadership and said the city is “cooperating fully with investigators (and) we are committed to complete transparency.”
The investigation was led by the Division of Criminal Investigation with help from the Mountain Bay Metro Police Department and the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office.
Thompson is in custody at the Marathon County Jail. He does not yet have an attorney listed in court records. He is expected to appear in court in Marathon County on Friday for an initial appearance.
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