Appleton man charged with theft, accused of stealing thousands from nonprofit

APPLETON (NBC 26) – Former Fox Cities Officials Association treasurer Robert Fletcher has been charged with petty and grand theft for allegedly misusing the nonprofit's funds.

• Investigators allege Fletcher withdrew nearly $20,000 over a three-year period and used the money for gambling and personal purposes.
• Fletcher admitted his misconduct and called it the “biggest mistake [his] Life”

(Below is a transcript of the entire broadcast report with additional details for the Internet.)

According to the criminal complaint, Fletcher is said to have accepted money for personal purposes, including gambling, while serving as treasurer.

Jamie Thern, president of the FCOA, shared more details about the case. Thern said FCOA officials noticed discrepancies in the accounting and reported the incident to the Outagamie County Sheriff's Office.

Fletcher resigned as treasurer last year and was formally charged earlier this year. Investigators say he withdrew nearly $20,000 from the nonprofit's bank account between 2020 and 2023. Another $2,000 reportedly went directly to his personal account. Court records show Fletcher has repaid around $17,000 but still owes more than $4,700.

In the lawsuit, Fletcher admitted to using club funds in the casino. “I created a demon for myself,” he said. “I'm guilty. I'm telling you now that it's the biggest mistake of my life.”

NBC 26 asked Fletcher for comment, but he declined to respond.

Thern expressed his disappointment with the situation and stressed the importance of ethics in her line of work.

“As referees, we are expected to uphold ethical principles and standards on the field or court as well as in our personal lives,” Thern said.

Fletcher's next court date is scheduled for October 11.