Argyle's longtime fire chief stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from firefighters' retirement accounts and used it to pay his personal credit card bills, including $350,000 in cash advances at casinos, according to his federal indictment unsealed Friday.
Chief Troy Mac Hohenberger was arrested Thursday by the FBI as he arrived at DFW Airport from a trip to Las Vegas. At the same time agents searched his office at the fire department.
A 13-count indictment accuses the longtime chief of theft, embezzlement and making false statements.
From February 2018 until May 2021, Hohenberger made approximately 80 payments to his personal credit card totaling more than $490,000, prosecutors allege.
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He spent more than $50,000 on expenses for a business in Hawaii which was run by a relative, taxes on his properties, meals at restaurants, travel expenses, retail purchases, medical and dental expenses, auto expenses and other personal expenses, the indictment said.
From 2018 until 2021, Hohenberger failed to deposit more than $690,000 of firefighter retirement contributions which were withheld from their pay and failed to open retirement accounts for several new firefighters, the indictment said.
Hohenberger was held Thursday night in the Collin County jail and released.
He was represented by Dallas defense attorney Brady Wyatt, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
If convicted, Hohenberger faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
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