Former Lakewood fire chief gets jail, probation for stealing nearly $100,000 from nonprofit

OCONTO – Oconto County Circuit Court Judge Michael Judge described the sentencing of former Lakewood Fire Chief Christopher Thomson, who was convicted of stealing nearly $100,000 from the nonprofit he served as treasurer for, as a conundrum.

A prison sentence would better fit Thomson’s crimes, Judge said, but would prevent Thomson from beginning to pay back the $128,339.49 he was ordered to pay in restitution to the Lakewood Fire Department Association, a nonprofit that raises funds primarily for the Lakewood Fire Department. Instead, Judge sentenced Thomson, 42, to probation with one year of conditional jail time.

“This man should go to prison,” Judge said. “If I send him to prison, there’s no acceptance of accountability or responsibility to at least begin some payments to the association. Therefore, reluctantly, this court will find that probation would not depreciate the offenses that occurred over hundreds of times.”

Following an investigation into discrepancies in the association’s checkbook and records, authorities said Thomson stole $90,516.58 from the association between Feb. 17, 2020, and Oct. 31, 2024, according to a criminal complaint. Thomson, who served as the treasurer between 2020 and 2024, pleaded no contest March 5 to seven of the 22 felonies he was charged with, including:

• Three counts of identity theft to obtain money or credit.

• One count of theft in a business setting between $10,000 and $100,000.

• Two counts of uttering forgery.

• One count of fraud against a financial institution, with value exceeding $500 but not exceeding $10,000.

At his May 5 sentencing, Thomson apologized for stealing the money, which he said was used to pay bills and support his family. He apologized directly to the Lakewood Fire Department, the association, the court and the Oconto County Sheriff’s Department as they “gave me a lot of trust, and I let them down.”

“I wish I would have just asked my family for help instead,” Thomson said. “I was too embarrassed to ask for help, and this is why I’m here today.”

‘It’s all about trust’

Current Lakewood Fire Chief Eric Johnson addressed the court before Thomson’s sentencing. Thomson’s actions have affected the entire community, Johnson said, and he believes Thomson could have stolen even more than he was convicted of.

“I worked right alongside him to raise money, sole purpose for serving the community, for our fire department, and what he reported as being actual is far less than what was raised,” Johnson said. “Allegedly probably took funds straight off the coffers.”

Trust between fire departments and their communities is vita because fire departments are mostly volunteerl, Johnson said. They rely on fundraisers and donations from the community to financially support themselves, he said.

“(Thomson) damaged the name of the Lakewood (Fire Department) Association and Lakewood Fire Department in that community and beyond,” Johnson said. “The trust in the community to the Lakewood (Fire Department) Association has been damaged severely by this individual, and it’s going to take a long time to recover that.”

Prosecution, defense jointly recommend probation with conditional jail time

Oconto County District Attorney Hannah Schuchart and defense attorney Nicole Morley presented Judge with a joint sentencing recommendation of six years’ probation, which would include one year in jail as a condition.

The recommendation asked for a stayed and imposed sentence of four years of initial confinement and six years of extended supervision if Thomson’s probation is revoked. Thomson also must pay $128,339.49 in restitution to the association.

Probation addresses Thomson’s rehabilitative need, his punishment and works to make the victims whole again by starting restitution payments sooner, Morley said. Rebuilding the trust Thomson’s actions broke within the community and returning the stolen funds to the association are a top priority in this case, Schuchart said.

“It wasn’t something that was a single transaction. It spanned years, and obviously this kind of coming out to the community, it is a violation of trust,” Schuchart said. “And it’s a violation of the faith that the members of the community placed in the department to make good use of their contributions.”

‘I wish I could do more for the town of Lakewood’

Thomson’s victims are plentiful as he not only hurt the association, but “so many different individuals,” Judge said. The primary factors Judge said he was looking at were restoration and justice for the fire department association, which played a large factor in his decision not to send Thomson to prison.

“I wish I could do more for the town of Lakewood,” Judge said. “But I cannot, other than what has been recommended to me by the state of Wisconsin and by the defense.”

The gravity of Thomson’s offenses grew because they occurred over multiple occasions, Judge said. It wasn’t a mistake, he said, “that’s what you call being a thief.”

“Every time you looked at that checkbook that doesn’t belong to you and the monies that don’t belong to you, so many times you had to think, ‘This isn’t mine, but I’m going to take it anyway,'” Judge said. “This wasn’t a one-time taking of a purse or a charge card. It was hundreds of times, and it made life easier for you.”

Judge sentenced Thomson to six years’ probation with one year of conditional jail time, following the joint recommendation. If his probation is revoked, Thomson will face four years in prison.

Judge also sentenced Thomson to required monthly payments toward restitution. Within the first two months of his release from jail, Thomson will have to pay at least $100 per month to the association. The monthly payment will increase to $250 after six months and $500 after one year.

Vivian Barrett is the public safety reporter for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. You can reach her at vmbarrett@greenbay.gannett.com or (920) 431-8314. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @vivianbarrett_.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Christopher Thomson former Lakewood Fire Chief sentenced for embezzlement