close
close

Association-anemone

Bite-sized brilliance in every update

    • Fr. Evansville Fire Chief Paul Anslinger to go on trial in 2025
    asane

    Fr. Evansville Fire Chief Paul Anslinger to go on trial in 2025

    Online Niel Posted on

    EVANSVILLE – Former Evansville Fire Chief Paul Anslinger rejected a plea deal in his ongoing theft and embezzlement case Wednesday, opting instead to put his trust in a jury of his peers.

    Anslinger, who was once touted as a potential successor to Evansville Fire Chief Mike Connelly, pleaded not guilty after Evansville police arrested him in August on three counts of theft and one count of official misconduct, these are all level 6 felonies.

    Anslinger is now scheduled to go to trial on May 5, according to court records. He is represented by attorneys Bob Zoss and Jacob Winsett. A phone call and voicemail to Zoss’ law office went unanswered Wednesday afternoon.

    The probable cause affidavit filed in the case alleges Anslinger took more than $4,451 from the Evansville Fire Department Foundation — a charitable trust he controlled — and deposited the money into the account of one of his investment companies.

    Investigators then allege Anslinger transferred $4,000 of the money to a personal bank account in his name.

    The affidavit also accuses Anslinger of keeping a department-issued handgun belonging to a retired fire investigator without telling anyone. According to investigators, he only returned the gun when it went missing — a discovery made by EFD personnel after Anslinger’s retirement.

    Wednesday’s proceeding was to discuss whether Anslinger would plead guilty in exchange for prosecutors dropping some of the charges he faced or whether he would go to trial. Details of a proposed plea agreement were not immediately available.

    Anslinger assumed the role of assistant chief after Connelly resigned abruptly last year because of the charges he had secretly recorded video a subordinate. According to interviews at the time, former Mayor Lloyd Winnecke gave Connelly an ultimatum: He could quietly resign or be fired. Connelly chose the first option.

    Anslinger, who played a role in mediating the sensitive incident that led to Connelly’s departure based on interviews with fire department personnel, was tasked with righting the ship at EFD. Anslinger had hoped to be in the running for chief when Democratic Mayor Stephanie Terry took office in January.

    Eventually, Terry appointed Tony Knight to serve as the Evansville Fire Chief.

    By April, Anslinger was the one who announced his own retirement after receiving a “disciplinary notice” from the city. Shortly thereafter, the Evansville Police Department announced that it had opened a criminal investigation into matters involving Anslinger.

    Things came to a head in August when Evansville police arrested Anslinger, who spent less than an hour in the Vanderburgh County Jail after posting the $10,000 bond required to secure his release.

    According to court records, a pretrial conference in Anslinger’s case is scheduled for 10 a.m. April 16 in Vanderburgh County Circuit Court.

    Houston Harwood can be reached at [email protected].

    Online Niel
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like