Three members of a Door County family are in custody following an investigation into an alleged theft and money laundering operation involving fuel deliveries that authorities say spanned more than a decade and cost 14 victims an estimated $1.8 million.
Thomas Kaczmarek, 65, his wife Jean Kaczmarek, 61, and their son Justin Kaczmarek, 25, all of the Town of Nasewaupee, were taken into custody on Nov. 4, according to a Nov. 6 news release from the Door County Sheriff’s Office and reporting by regional outlets including Door County Pulse, NBC26, WFRV Local 5, and the Green Bay Press-Gazette. They appeared in Door County Circuit Court on Nov. 6 before Judge Jennifer Moeller, where cash bonds were set at $25,000 for Thomas, $10,000 for Justin, and $5,000 for Jean. All three remained in the Door County Jail as of Friday.
Investigators obtained four search warrants and three seizure warrants that were executed on Nov. 5 at properties in the Town of Nasewaupee in Door County and the Town of Pembine in Marinette County. The investigation identified 14 alleged victims across Northeast Wisconsin with combined losses of approximately $1.8 million.
The Kaczmareks face a no-contact order with those victims. Formal charges had not yet been filed as of mid-afternoon Friday, though court records and reporting indicated Thomas was being held in connection with one count of felony theft and 14 counts of fraudulent writing; Justin faced two counts of fraudulent writing and one count of money laundering; and Jean faced one count of money laundering. They are due back in court on Nov. 19.
Special prosecutor Kevin Steuck described the alleged operation as “a very sophisticated and serious crime” in arguing for the cash bonds. Defense attorney Nathan Dineen said the family had “absolutely zero money” because assets had been seized. Jean Kaczmarek told the court she was not a flight risk, citing family ties in the area.
According to anonymous information reported by NBC26, Thomas Kaczmarek worked as a driver for the Brillion-based cooperative Country Visions for 17 years. The alleged scheme involved taking fuel billed to larger customers and delivering it to others at discounted prices.
In a statement, Country Visions said it learned in September that one of its employees was stealing petroleum products from customers, promptly notified the Door County Sheriff’s Department, and terminated the worker immediately. The cooperative said it is working to identify missing products, reimburse affected customers where possible, and has added safeguards to prevent similar incidents.
The Door County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who paid any of the three Kaczmareks directly by cash or check for fuel delivery to contact Investigator Jon Gilson at 920-746-2555. The investigation remains ongoing.
This case adds to recent large-scale financial crime investigations in the region. In a separate matter reported earlier by Door County Pulse and others, an 81-year-old Nasewaupee man was convicted in 2025 on multiple felony counts of theft from a business setting and money laundering involving more than $1.1 million in losses to 23 victims.
The Kaczmareks have not entered formal pleas on the anticipated charges, and all details remain allegations at this stage. Additional victims or further developments are possible as the probe continues.
