FRANKFORT, KY (July 3, 2025) – Attorney General Russell Coleman and Commonwealth's Attorney for the 5th Judicial Circuit Zac Greenwell announced today that joint action by their offices resulted in the indictment of a former public official in western Kentucky.
A Union County Grand Jury indicted Chad Cullen, 41, of Sturgis, on one count of Abuse of Public Trust (Class C Felony). According to the indictment, between January 2022 and December 2024, Cullen who was serving as the Sturgis Fire Chief, pocketed tens of thousands of dollars from the department. According to court documents, he failed to make deposits, instead using the department's funds for "personal purchases and non-authorized expenditures." The indictment alleged Cullen stole more than $50,000 during that 3-year-period.
Detectives with the Attorney General's Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI) investigated the case. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Wes Hunt, who serves Crittenden, Union, and Webster Counties, presented the case to the Grand Jury on behalf of the Commonwealth.
The Kentucky Supreme Court's rule on trial publicity limits information the Office can provide publicly.
The charges in an indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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