Grafton Man Faces Felony Charge

 

A 48-year-old Grafton man is facing a Class A Felony charge of misapplication of entrusted property. An investigation found funds were not used in a manner approved by the board of Valley Ambulance and Rescue Service (VARS) in Grafton.

James Russell Restemayer, age 48 of Grafton, has been charged with the Class A Felony following an investigation by multiple agencies.

Court documents say that Restemayer, who is the former director of the service, used Valley Ambulance funds for his own personal use.

During the review of the accounts of the ambulance and rescue service, Special Agent Scott Kraft, of the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, discovered that Restemayer would pay for items using the VARS credit card and pay the credit card balance with the VARS checking account.

Restemayer also used the VARS checking account for ACH withdrawals to pay personal bills.

In all, from a time period of credit card statements dated January 2015 to August 2018, and bank statements dated May 2015 through August 2018, Restemayer caused a loss in excess of $50,000.

His next court appearance is December 3 at 9:30 a.m.