Robert Patrick and Elizabethe Holland
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

St. Louis - The former chief of the Metro North Fire Protection District admitted Tuesday that, unhappy about a pay cut, he struck back by charging tens of thousands of dollars of personal expenses on three district credit cards.

David P. Jetton, 53, of Dellwood, said that after the firefighters' union went to the district board and said that he was paid too much, and the board agreed, he began trying to get back what he felt was an "unjust" cut.

As part of a plea deal in federal court in St. Louis, Jetton admitted misusing the cards, receiving unauthorized payroll checks, using district checks for personal auto repairs and adding family members' cell phones to his district account.

In all, he admitted defrauding the district of $30,000 to $70,000 from 2000-06 and pleaded guilty to a single felony charge of fraudulent use of a credit card. He faces 10 to 16 months in prison but may argue for less at his sentencing hearing, set for May 19.

Jetton had been under investigation since at least 2006, when a firefighter found a credit card statement and turned it over to the board. Jetton resigned that June.

Brad Peters, vice president of firefighters' Local 2665, on Tuesday refuted Jetton's allegation that the union had sought to have the chief's pay cut. Rather, Peters explained, the union requested an audit after it was told that despite a tax increase in 2004, the district didn't have the funds to add a fourth person to its engine company in 2005.

The union's persistence in pushing for a deeper look at the district's finances helped lead to the discovery of missing funds, Peters said.

The board ultimately sued, claiming Jetton had used more than $200,000 in district funds for his own use, including more than $130,000 charged to credit cards, unauthorized paychecks totaling almost $35,000 and a $23,000 debt to the Internal Revenue Service.

Board lawyer Frank Vatterott said Jetton was the only administrator of the small district and handled the mail and bills.

"You have to have segregation of duties and checks and balances on all public funds," Vatterott said Tuesday. "There's just too much danger in trusting one person."

Vatterott said a settlement was near on the civil case.

Floyd Renner, the district's current chief, and board directors Louis Schnur and Robert Young declined to comment.

The district, which was known by the name of Moline Acres until 2003, has one station that covers Dellwood, Moline Acres and an unincorporated area of north St. Louis County.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Schelp said that with resolution of the civil and criminal cases and Jetton's surrender of a portion of his pension, the district would be "made whole" for its losses.

Jetton's lawyer, Chet Pleban, said that most of the money had already been repaid.

As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed not to file other charges in the case or pursue family members who may have benefited.

In an unrelated case, Jetton's son, David P. Jetton III, pleaded guilty in January of 2006 of theft by a bank officer. He was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and ordered to repay $88,703.

Jetton III admitted using 41 bank checks to pay personal expenses, including credit card bills, traffic tickets and for jewelry.

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