The former fire chief of Denton County’s Emergency Services District 1 pleaded guilty Wednesday to 13 federal felony charges. Troy “Mac” Hohenberger confessed he embezzled about half a million dollars from the Argyle Volunteer Fire Department’s operating fund. Federal authorities say he spent the money on personal expenses, gambling trips, and gifts to relatives. Hohenberger faces a possible sentence of of ten years in federal prison. Hohenberge was also accused of mismanaging the department’s 401(k) plan by not transferring the money taken out of employee paychecks for the 401(k) plan into the fund as he was required to do by federal law. That case is still pending.
Meanwhile Denton County reportedly is running out of money to pay its firefighters. The County’s Emergency Services Division says there may be no money to pay its firefighters in August. The immediate problem is centered on the firefighters pension fund that is reported to be short by somewhere between $1.5 million and $2 million.
