Former Village of Plainfield fire chief Jeffrey Kessenich was arrested on March 18 and is accused of stealing about $112,000 from the village, according to charges filed this month. Prosecutors have charged him with two felony counts of theft and one misdemeanor count after state investigators said the money was used for personal purchases. Prosecutors allege the conduct occurred between December 2023 and September 2025 and that funds were shifted between Plainfield Fire Department accounts to conceal the purported misappropriation. The arrest has stirred up fresh questions about small-town bookkeeping and how closely municipal emergency funds are watched.
According to Spectrum News, Kessenich was booked into the Waushara County Jail after his March 18 arrest and released after posting a $10,000 bond. The outlet reports that the Wisconsin Department of Justice opened the investigation after village officials and the Plainfield Police Department flagged irregular transactions. Prosecutors, according to that report, accuse Kessenich of unauthorized purchases and self-reimbursements tied to the alleged scheme.
Small village, big questions
The Village of Plainfield runs on a lean municipal staff and a local fire department that serves the surrounding community, so officials now find themselves combing through budgets and reimbursements to pin down any losses. The village's official website lays out how municipal operations and local departments, including the fire department, are supposed to function as residents and trustees work through the fallout. Local leaders will have to decide what level of audits and internal controls to pursue and whether to seek civil recovery on top of the criminal case.
How the state has handled similar cases
The Wisconsin Department of Justice has gone after emergency-service officials before, and a 2025 DOJ release describes charges against a Wausau fire division chief after investigators uncovered missing controlled substances and other irregularities. That earlier case illustrates how internal audits and outside reviews can snowball into full criminal investigations and effectively serves as a playbook for prosecutors and auditors working in smaller municipalities. The Wausau release from the Wisconsin Department of Justice details the steps investigators took from audit to arrest.
What comes next
Kessenich is accused, not convicted, and is presumed innocent; the theft counts are allegations prosecutors will have to prove in court. It was not immediately clear when his next court appearance would be scheduled, and local officials have not provided a detailed timeline for any internal reviews. The village is expected to audit relevant accounts and contracts to determine the scope of any losses and to decide whether financial controls need to be tightened going forward.
