A trial is set for October for a Bellflower resident who 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.

Paul Eveland will appear at the trial that is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Oct. 20 at the Montgomery County Courthouse. His attorney is Philip Brancatto of Festus.

Eveland attended a court hearing on Sept. 1 at the courthouse. Associate Circuit Judge Nathan Carroz announced that Eveland’s trial will be held in October.

In late July, Eveland was charged for stealing $800.55 while working as a fire chief at the Bellflower fire department. He was interviewed by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department in February 2025 and admitted 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.

The Missouri State Auditor’s Office began an audit of the Bellflower Fire Protection District in August 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.

Eveland allegedly 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.