The chief of a local volunteer fire department who was arrested earlier this month has been formally charged with a felony.

According to court records, Strother Volunteer Fire Department Chief Ryan Lehman was charged with one felony count of offering to engage in prostitution. The charge was filed Sept. 22 in Pottawatomie County District Court.

As reported in the Sept. 14 edition of The Seminole Producer, Lehman was arrested Sept. 11 on charges of violation of the computer crimes act and engaging in prostitution, lewdness or assignation.

According to an affidavit, Lehman’s arrest was part of a sting operation conducted by a human trafficking task force with the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Department. The affidavit states that members of the task force posed as prostitutes on various online platforms. Lehmen contacted one of the undercover officers online and agreed to pay them $80 in exchange for a sexual act. Lehmen was arrested after he agreed to meet the undercover officer at a Shawnee Motel.

Lehman told investigators he used Google to search for female escorts and responded to an advertisement on skipthegames.com for such services. According to the affidavit, Lehman also told investigators after his arrest that he “knew it was a mistake” and that he had “never done anything like this before.”

The board that oversees the Fire Department held an emergency meeting Monday evening, Sept. 15 and voted to suspend Lehman effective immediately. His employment status was unknown at press time.

The Strother Fire Department is located on Highway 99A near Little and is comprised of about 20 volunteer firefighters. Lehman assumed the role of fire chief in April.