Ex-firefighter admits violating DUI sentence
URBANA — A former Urbana firefighter faces a maximum of a year in jail when he is resentenced in January for driving under the influence.
Tony Foster, 40, who listed an address in the 2100 block of Stonebrooke Court, Urbana, admitted to Judge John Kennedy that he violated his conditional discharge by lying to a police officer about an accident that happened in August after he had been drinking.
Foster pleaded guilty in April 2010 to misdemeanor driving under the influence in connection with a Dec. 2, 2009, incident, in which he drove away twice from a Rantoul police officer who stopped him on U.S. 45 on the south side of the village. He was sentenced to 18 months of conditional discharge.
In February 2010, before his guilty plea, Foster resigned from his $81,000-a-year position with the fire department, where he was a division chief. He had been there 15 years.
On Aug. 4 of this year, Foster's wife, Rhonda Foster, also an Urbana firefighter, reported that she was driving their truck when it became stuck in mud behind a business in the 300 block of West Springfield Avenue in Urbana. She said to get out, she gave the truck gas and collided with a cable box and fence.
Assistant State's Attorney Marley Nelson said after investigating, Urbana police Sgt. Harley Rutledge learned that Tony Foster had actually been driving the truck the night before after drinking and hit the box and fence.
The state's attorney's office filed a petition to revoke Foster's conditional discharge in late October and on Tuesday, he admitted that he violated the terms of his probation by persuading his wife to lie to police to protect him.
Fire Chief Mike Dilley said Rhonda Foster was disciplined by the fire department over the incident, which occurred at a time when she was performing light duty at the police department due to her pregnancy.
Dilley said he was unable to say anything about her discipline.
Judge John Kennedy set Tony Foster's resentencing date for Jan. 11. He is represented by the Champaign County public defender's office.
Wow! All I can ask after reading this article is who hires these people at the Urbana Fire Department? Surely there were better qualified people available to serve the City then this couple. I hope the Urbana Police Department has the common sense not to let a liar work for them any longer even if the fire department does not.
Why wasn't Rhonda Foster charged with filing a false police report or obstruction of justice, and why didn't the News-Gazette raise this issue? The article states she was disciplined by the fire department - what a joke! Obstruction of justice is a felony which needs to be handled by the courts.
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