Former Ladue & St. Clair Fire Chief Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud and Tax Charges
Mail fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
Information was provided by the IRS Criminal Investigation Department of the Justice Department of Eastern Missouri. Eric Hinson pled guilty to mail fraud and multiple tax evasion charges involving his misuse of approximately $593,236 of St. Clair Fire Protection District funds between January 2006 and September 2011. As a result of the federal investigation, Hinson resigned his positions as Chief at both the St. Clair Fire Protection District and the Ladue Fire Department. The St. Clair Fire Protection District (District) provides fire protection service for Franklin County, Missouri, and has four fire houses, 18 full-time fire fighters and between 25-50 volunteer fire fighters. The District is primarily funded by public funds, through …
