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• Hudson - Charges filed in Rassbach Oil case

One count of felony forgery and four counts of misdemeanor theft have been filed against John P. Rassbach in connection with an investigation into fuel fraud complaints from several farmers.

The charges, filed in St. Croix County Circuit Court Dec. 17, charge Rassbach with allegedly shorting diesel fuel and fuel oil to four farmer customers of Rassbach Oil, Glenwood City.

He was scheduled to make an initial appearance Jan. 9 before Judge Scott R. Needham.

The four victims included Tim Ohmann, Emerald, James Walquist, Bruce Achterhof, Baldwin and Bradley Dorwin, Glenwood City, and relate to fuel drops at their farms on Aug. 25, Sept. 4, 9 and 12, according to the sheriff's report.

A sheriff's investigator pursued a complaint about a short diesel fuel deliver to Dorwin. The famer said he had officials from the state weights and measures department drain his tanks on Aug. 21 then Rassbach delivered oil and billed him for 712.9 gallons. State officials measured the drop at 604 gallons.

The state also checked Rassbach's trucks and said all meters and gages were working.

The criminal complaint said Rassbach admitted to an investigator that he shorted diesel and heating fuel delivered to famers.

The famers had a pre-billed contract with Rassbach to buy fuel at $2.75 a gallon. When he had to buy fuel at $3.24 to $3.40 a gallon and take a loss, he allegedly shorted customers, the complaint said.