EVANSVILLE — A former Evansville Fire Department official who rose to acting chief before retiring amid a criminal investigation pleaded guilty Monday to one count of theft and was sentenced to one year of probation.
Vanderburgh County Circuit Court Judge Ryan Hatfield handed down the sentence during a 1 p.m. hearing after the former acting chief, Paul Anslinger, pleaded guilty to one count of theft, a Level 6 felony.
Anslinger, who served as an EFD assistant chief for more than a decade and later as interim chief, had since 2024 faced three felony counts of theft and one county of official misconduct after detectives accused him of abusing his authority and pilfering charitable funds from a foundation he controlled.
Anslinger’s agreement with prosecutors saw three out of the four counts he faced dismissed. Anslinger will avoid prison so long as he successfully completes his probation. Asked by Hatfield if he had any comment for the court, Anslinger replied, “No, sir.”
A probable cause affidavit filed in the case alleged Anslinger took $4,451 from the Evansville Fire Department Foundation and funneled the money through a limited liability company linked to his home address before transferring $4,000 into a personal bank account.
Prosecutors said Anslinger would also be required to pay roughly $6,000 in restitution.
Investigators also accused Anslinger of retaining a Glock 21 handgun belonging to a retired EFD arson investigator without authorization, only returning the weapon after it was discovered missing following his retirement. His highest original charge — a Level 5 felony — was tied to the alleged stolen firearm. Additionally, investigators alleged he charged commercial-grade power tools to the department, hid some of them in an EFD warehouse and kept others for personal use.
Anslinger retired from the department in April 2024, hours after receiving a formal notice of discipline from city officials. The nature of that disciplinary action was never publicly disclosed. At the time of his retirement, EFD Chief Tony Knight said the department would turn over any relevant findings to law enforcement — a process that eventually led to Anslinger’s August 2024 arrest.
His departure came during a turbulent stretch for the department’s leadership. Anslinger assumed the interim chief role in September 2023 following the abrupt resignation of longtime EFD Chief Mike Connelly, who left amid accusations that he had secretly filmed a subordinate without her consent.
Separately, Anslinger filed a civil lawsuit against the City of Evansville in 2025, seeking more than $30,000 in unpaid wages and liquidated damages. He claimed the city owed him for 240 hours of accrued vacation time and 24 hours of paid time off. The city denied those claims, arguing a provision in the collective bargaining agreement bars vacation payouts for employees who leave in lieu of termination.
Anslinger and the city inked a settlement and filed a joint stipulation of dismissal April 1, with Vanderburgh County Superior Court Judge Mary Margaret Lloyd granting the dismissal the following day. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed; the Courier & Press has a public records request pending for that information.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Former Evansville fire chief pleads guilty to theft, gets probation
Reporting by Houston Harwood, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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