The operations superintendent of the Johnson County Conservation Department for years took supplies and equipment from the department for his personal use and went on extended vacations without reporting them, according to court records.
Wade Schultz (Johnson County photo)
Further, Superintendent Wade Schultz and his boss, Director Larry Gullett, were not seen by their employees at work for about two years before they were suspended with pay in June 2024, the State Auditor's Office reported Tuesday.
Their alleged indiscretions are detailed in the auditor's report and search warrant documents associated with investigations into their conduct.
Larry Gullett (Submitted)
The auditor's office identified more than $60,000 of improper spending by the department over a five-year period while Gullett and Schultz were in charge.
Schultz, 55, declined to comment for this article. Gullett died last year. He was 65.
Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith said she is reviewing the allegations to determine whether to file criminal charges against Schultz.
The investigations date back to at least August 2022, when someone reported Schultz's alleged conduct to the county sheriff, court records show.
Anonymous complaints a year later to the county conservation board, which oversees the department, alleged Schultz was stealing from the county with Gullett's approval.
"Wade Schultz is stealing truckloads of material things that belong to Johnson County," one complaint alleged.
According to search warrant documents, the sheriff's investigation yielded a voluminous amount of accusations against Schultz, including:
At the time Schultz was suspended last year, his annual salary was about $115,000. He still is employed by the county.
At the time of his suspension, Gullett was paid about $157,000 per year.
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Further, Superintendent Wade Schultz and his boss, Director Larry Gullett, were not seen by their employees at work for about two years before they were suspended with pay in June 2024, the State Auditor's Office reported Tuesday.
Their alleged indiscretions are detailed in the auditor's report and search warrant documents associated with investigations into their conduct.
The auditor's office identified more than $60,000 of improper spending by the department over a five-year period while Gullett and Schultz were in charge.
Schultz, 55, declined to comment for this article. Gullett died last year. He was 65.
Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith said she is reviewing the allegations to determine whether to file criminal charges against Schultz.
The investigations date back to at least August 2022, when someone reported Schultz's alleged conduct to the county sheriff, court records show.
Anonymous complaints a year later to the county conservation board, which oversees the department, alleged Schultz was stealing from the county with Gullett's approval.
"Wade Schultz is stealing truckloads of material things that belong to Johnson County," one complaint alleged.
According to search warrant documents, the sheriff's investigation yielded a voluminous amount of accusations against Schultz, including:
- The repeated theft of toilet paper, trash bags, washer fluid, oil, wood and other items;
- Schultz's repeated use of county equipment — including a skid loader — for his own projects;
- Improper purchases of tools and equipment the county did not use;
- County employees doing work for non-county projects;
- Claiming to work while vacationing: "Employees reported that Wade spends several months over the winter vacationing out of state where he rides snowmobile trails. He does not utilize vacation or other time off during this time period and claims to work from out of state," according to search warrant documents;
- Paying his daughter as a seasonal employee of the department, even when she did not work and returned to college.
At the time Schultz was suspended last year, his annual salary was about $115,000. He still is employed by the county.
At the time of his suspension, Gullett was paid about $157,000 per year.
Investigations allege Johnson County conservation officials abused jobs
The superintendent of the Johnson County Conservation Department for years took supplies and equipment from the department for his personal use and went on extended vacations without reporting them, according to court records.
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