Rassbach Pleads Not Guilty

GLENWOOD CITY - John Rassbach of Glenwood City, Wisconsin, entered a plea of not guilty today before Judge Vlack. Rassbach is accused of defrauding customers of his business, Rassbach Oil Company, which contracts to sell fuel products to Wisconsin home owners and farmers. 

The charges, which include multiple felony and misdemeanor counts, arose out of an investigation conducted by agents of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), Division of Weights and Measures in conjunction with the St. Croix County Sheriff's Department. 

Rassbach, age 53, is charged with five felony counts of theft, six counts of misdemeanor theft and three counts of attempted misdemeanor theft for intentionally deceiving customers or attempting to deceive customers that he contracted to sell fuel products including LP gas, gasoline, and diesel/fuel oil in three general ways: (1) physically "shorting" the customer by pumping a portion of the fuel back into his delivery truck, (2) the use of fraudulent propane delivery invoices, and (3) the issuance of duplicate and triplicate fuel delivery tickets by presenting the same ticket to multiple customers for a single fuel delivery. 

Rassbach faces maximum penalties of: three years and six months in jail and a $10,000 fine or both on four felony counts and six years in prison and a $10,000 fine, or both on one felony count, and nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine or both on six counts of misdemeanor theft, and four and one-half months in jail and a $5,000 fine or both on three counts of attempted misdemeanor theft.  The charges are merely accusations.  Rassbach is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

The court has set a status conference for Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. The defendant's bond continues. Assistant Attorney General David Wambach represents the state in this case.