A lieutenant with the Winslow Fire Department has been charged with stealing thousands of dollars from the Winslow Firefighters Association, officials said Monday.
Shawn Stetson Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office photo
Shawn Stetson, 34, of Fairfield was arrested last Tuesday by deputies from the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly having withdrawn more than $12,000 in cash from accounts managed by the association. The unauthorized cash withdrawals allegedly began in February 2023, officials said.
“A recent investigation by the members of the Winslow Firefighters Association revealed that several thousand dollars were missing from various accounts and CDs belonging to the Association,” Kennebec County Sheriff’s Lt. Chris Read said Monday in a statement.
Stetson was charged with unauthorized taking or transfer of an amount exceeding $10,000, a Class B offense.
Neither Stetson nor officials representing the association responded Monday to requests for comment.
Stetson’s arrest came after an internal investigation last month found thousands of dollars missing from association bank accounts, Read said. After completing their investigation, detectives interviewed and arrested Stetson.
Winslow Town Manager Ella Bowman said Monday the money was taken from accounts associated with the association’s fundraising efforts.
“I’m not sure if this was an act of desperation or a temptation that he couldn’t resist,” Bowman said. “Shawn’s fire family, his personal family and the citizens that he served have all been badly impacted by his alleged actions.”
Stetson was held in custody for more than an hour before being released on $500 bail, according to the intake department at the Kennebec County Correctional Facility in Augusta. His bail conditions include he not contact any Winslow town employee and not return to town property, except to retrieve personal items.
Stetson is listed on the town of Winslow’s website as being a B-Shift lieutenant with the department. He joined the Winslow Fire Department in 2021, after having served on fire departments in Oakland, Fairfield, Waterville and Yarmouth, and worked part time for Delta Ambulance.
Stetson’s biography on the town website says he was born and raised in Waterville, entering firefighting in 2007 when he worked for the Waterville Fire Department as a call force member. He worked as a career firefighter from 2014 to 2021 with Waterville Fire-Rescue, rising to the rank of rescue technician, and holds an advanced EMT license, according to the site.
On Monday, Bowman called the situation “unfortunate.”
“I’ve known Shawn for years,” she said. “This is not the Shawn that I’ve known. Shawn is a kind and caring person. I can’t imagine what caused him to act this way.”
A case file for Stetson filed at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta did not yet contain a probable cause affidavit from the Sheriff’s Office that would provide more details of the allegations.
Stetson is scheduled to appear in court March 25.
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