WAUSAU, Wis. (WFRV) – A division chief in charge of a Wisconsin Fire Department’s emergency medical program was charged with multiple counts of misconduct in public office and theft for allegedly stealing painkillers from the department supply.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Jared Thompson, the division chief in charge of the Wausau Fire Department’s emergency medical program, was arrested on Thursday.
The DOJ release said that the criminal complaint alleges Thompson was solely responsible for ordering fentanyl and other controlled substances used to treat pain.
The complaint alleged that between January 1, 2025, and June 16, 2025, roughly 486 vials of hydromorphone and 612 vials of fentanyl purchased by the Wausau Fire Department went unaccounted for and/or diverted.
In 2023, the Wausau Fire Department reportedly purchased about 11 vials and 92 vials of the two substances, respectively.
The alleged crimes reportedly occurred between January 2024 and June 2025.
