Former Firefighter Pleads Guilty to Stealing Raffle Proceeds
ZANESVILLE, Ohio–A former South Zanesville firefighter has pleaded guilty to embezzling thousands of dollars in community raffle proceeds.
29-year-old Timothy Pulley of Zanesville entered a guilty plea to a Prosecutor’s bill of information to charges of theft in office and tampering with evidence.
According to the Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office, in early 2025 the South Zanesville Fire Department, through its fundraising club, organized a raffle fundraiser to support the purchase of a new ambulance.
Several employees received tasks for the raffle’s operations. Pulley was tasked with managing the payment platforms which are where raffle funds were received. The platforms included Stripe, Shopify, and PayPal.
Investigations into the internal theft report revealed that between May and August of this year Pulley embezzled over $32,000 in raffle proceeds from the South Zanesville Fire Department . Officials said Pulley transferred funds into his personal accounts and used the money for rent, living expenses, and the purchase of a new motorcycle.
Pulley is facing a possible sentence of four years in prison and restitution in the amount of $32,449.46.
Official Statement from South Zanesville Fire Department Regarding the Misappropriation of Raffle Funds:
We are deeply saddened to confirm that former firefighter Tim Pulley stole over $30,000 in raffle proceeds—funds that were intended to support our organization and community initiatives.
We want to assure everyone who purchased raffle tickets that all ticket money is safe and accounted for. The amount stolen represented only our organization’s profits, and no participant funds or winnings were affected.We are cooperating fully with the authorities to ensure that justice is served, and we are already implementing new oversight measures to prevent any such incident from occurring again.We appreciate the continued support and trust of our community, and we remain committed to transparency, accountability, and the values that define our organization.
For any questions or concerns, please contact South Zanesville Police Chief Mark Ross.
Sincerely,
Chief Russell Taylor
