A Bellflower resident was charged for making inappropriate purchases and fuel cards being used to buy fuel for personal vehicles in a span of a month while working for the Bellflower Fire Protection District.

In late July, Paul Eveland was charged for stealing $800.55 between Sept. 1-30, 2024. He is scheduled to appear in a court hearing at 9 a.m. on Sept. 1 at the Montgomery County Courthouse.

On Aug. 7, the Missouri State Auditor’s Office began an audit of the Bellflower Fire Protection District at the request of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, which expressed concerns about possible inappropriate purchases and fuel cards being used to buy fuel for personal vehicles.

“We appreciate the efforts of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the work they did to investigate the issues with the Bellflower Fire Protection District and bring them to our attention,” State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick said in a statement. “Our own investigation identified potential issues with the misuse of district fuel cards as well as purchases that appear to be personal in nature. Our audit will now delve deeply into the operations of the district as we work to uncover any possible waste, fraud or abuse.”

Eveland worked as a fire chief at the Bellflower fire department. According to the probable cause statement, Eveland was interviewed on Feb. 7, 2025 by Cpl. Brian Maskey of the Sheriff’s Office, admitting that he used and authorized others to use the fire department’s fuel card. His intent was to reimburse the department after receiving 2024 income taxes in the spring of 2025. He cited personal financial difficulties as the reason for his inappropriate practice, according to the probable cause statement.

Eveland committed a Class D felony. If found guilty, Eveland could either serve between one and seven years in prison, serve one year in the county jail or be fined $10,000.

During his tenure as Bellflower Fire Chief, Eveland was instrumental in launching a community outreach project that included several events at the firehouse. In 2023, he was appointed as one of the members of Montgomery County’s first board of directors for BackStoppers.