Former Poplar Fire Chief Sentenced

A Poplar man who fraudulently obtained money intended for the local fire department was sentenced on July 9, to five months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and restitution of $16,986.50, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

David Michael Rosebud Mathison, 49, pleaded guilty in March 2025 to one count of wire fraud.

Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.

The government alleged in court documents that David Mathison served as the fire chief for the Poplar Volunteer Fire Department from about December 2020 until his official termination in November 2022. The Poplar Volunteer Fire Department is funded through public donations and the funds are intended to be used for fire department business through the use of a debit card. When a fire department debit card is used to access funds, those funds are transferred in interstate commerce from the relevant point of sale terminal or ATM to data centers located outside Montana. Mathison was not authorized to possess and use a fire department debit card, but he obtained one for purported business expenses. Mathison then used the card for personal expenses, including numerous unauthorized ATM withdrawals at local bars and restaurants.

On or about Aug. 23, 2021, Mathison used a fire depart- ment debit card to make three separate withdrawals totaling $487.50 from an ATM located at the Buckhorn Bar in Poplar. When confronted about these unauthorized withdrawals, Mathison claimed the funds were used to pay for meals for other firefighters despite there being no fire department meeting or event at that time. When Mathison was interviewed, he admitted making the ATM withdrawals and acknowledged that the money was used to purchase alcoholic beverages from the bar. The total amount of loss is $16,986.50.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice.