COLUMBUS — The former chief of the Crestline Fire Department was sentenced to 60 days in the Richland County Jail in Mansfield after he pleaded guilty to two criminal counts related to working full-time jobs for multiple public agencies simultaneously.

As part of a plea deal, Matthew Wells also paid restitution and audit costs of $26,384, will be subject to community control for 48 months, and is barred from serving in public sector employment.

The sentence was announced Monday afternoon in Richland County Common Pleas Court, where Wells earlier admitted to felony counts of tampering with records and theft in office.

The crimes were uncovered during an investigation by the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which received a complaint that Wells was being paid by two public entities for the same hours worked.

SIU determined Wells was employed by the Ohio Department of Education, the Springfield Township Fire Department in Richland County and the Pleasant Township Fire Department in Marion County and claimed the same work hours for two agencies.

Since 2019, the Special Investigations Unit has assisted in 121 convictions resulting in more than $8.3 million in restitution (see Map of SIU Convictions since January 2019). The team receives hundreds of tips of suspected fraud annually. Tips can be submitted anonymously online or via SIU’s fraud hotline at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364).

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The Auditor of State’s office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government. 

Public Affairs
Contact: Marc Kovac
press@ohioauditor.gov