Portage Firefighter Charged with Fraud and Theft in $93,000 Overpayment Scheme
William Thomas Lundy III, of Michigan City, has been charged with fraud and theft following an investigation into alleged unauthorized payroll entries resulting in over $93,000 in improper payments from the City of Portage between December 2021 and January 2025.
According to court documents, the Portage Fire Department began investigating after a firefighter discovered Lundy’s 2024 salary appeared inconsistent with his limited overtime hours. An internal review revealed that Lundy had entered work hours into the city’s payroll system using the ADP mobile app under his unique employee ID, bypassing official authorization.
City officials determined the unauthorized entries resulted in Lundy receiving unearned pay totaling approximately $93,001.11 over multiple years:
• ~$16,599 in 2022
• ~$36,404 in 2023
• ~$39,018 in 2024
• ~$978 in 2025
The entries were traced back to an external source identified as “External API,” using Lundy’s ADP account. Investigators found no supporting documentation or activity logs confirming Lundy had worked the shifts associated with the entries.
Lundy reportedly told a deputy chief he was unaware of any overpayment and believed his salary was normal. Officials from the Portage Clerk-Treasurer’s Office later confirmed that the hours had been input without approval and did not match departmental records.
Charges filed on June 26, 2025:
• Fraud, Level 5 Felony
• Theft, Level 5 Felony
