MADISON, Wis. — A high-ranking official from the Wausau Fire Department has been charged with several felonies and misdemeanors for allegedly pilfering significant amounts of controlled substances from the department’s medical supply stock, as announced by the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday.
Jared J. Thompson, who held the position of Division Chief overseeing the department’s emergency medical program, is facing three felony charges of misconduct in public office along with two misdemeanor theft charges. Thompson was arrested and officially charged on Thursday following an investigation conducted by the DOJ’s Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).
The criminal complaint reveals that Thompson was the sole individual responsible for ordering controlled substances for the Wausau Fire Department. Between January 1, 2025, and June 16, 2025, nearly 612 vials of fentanyl and 486 vials of hydromorphone—both potent opioid painkillers—were reported as unaccounted for or diverted.
In contrast, the department had only ordered 92 vials of fentanyl and 11 vials of hydromorphone throughout all of 2023, indicating a significant and unexplained increase in procurement during Thompson’s oversight.
The alleged misconduct occurred from January 2024 to June 2025, indicating a prolonged pattern of authority abuse.
The DOJ initiated its investigation after the Wausau Fire Department expressed concerns regarding discrepancies in its medication inventory. The Mountain Bay Metro Police Department and the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office provided assistance during the investigation.
“These charges are serious and reflect a breach of public trust involving substances that have both critical medical uses and high potential for abuse,” the DOJ stated in a release. “As in any criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.”
