Argyle’s former fire chief indicted on misuse, theft of funds

Argyle’s former fire chief was indicted on federal charges related to misuse and theft of funds from the Argyle Fire District operating account, and making false statements to the Department of Labor.

Mac Hohenberger, the former Argyle fire chief, was indicted on federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas on Nov. 17, according to a Nov. 18 a release from the Department of Justice’s Eastern District of Texas. The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Hohenberger, 72, on Nov. 17.

Hohenberger, who served as the fire chief of Denton County Emergency Services District No. 1, was named in a federal indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Nov. 17.

Hohenberger, while chief of the Argyle Fire Department, is alleged to have taken money from the operating account of the fire district—which received federal funds in the form of Medicare reimbursements—and used over $490,000 of those funds to pay personal credit card bills, according to the release.

The indictment also alleges these personal credit card expenses included cash advances at casinos, payments related to a family member’s business in Hawaii and other personal uses, according to the release.

Hohenberger is also alleged to have failed to fund firefighter retirement accounts in the time required by federal regulations and embezzled or stole the funds, according to the release. It is also alleged that he made false statements related to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act-qualified firefighter retirement plan on a form submitted to the Department of Labor.

If convicted, Hohenberger faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Department of Labor–Employee Benefits Security Administration.