A fire chief in San Joaquin County has pleaded no contest to embezzlement, according to the sheriff’s office.
San Joaquin County Sheriff’s detectives began investigating Frank Ramirez III in February 2023, when he was fire chief of the Mokelumne Rural Fire District in Lockeford. Investigators had received a report alleging Ramirez was embezzling property during his tenure as fire chief.
A search warrant of Ramirez’ residence allegedly yielded fire department property, “including a large dump trailer that he had misappropriated,” the sheriff’s office said Wednesday. He was arrested and taken to jail.
On Tuesday, Ramirez pleaded no contest to two felony counts of embezzlement by public officers, the sheriff’s office said.