TAYLOR, Texas — A former Taylor volunteer fire chief has been charged with first-degree felony theft of over $300,000, according to a release from the police department.
Billy Dale Hughes Jr. turned himself in Thursday morning after a joint investigation involving the Taylor Police Department and the Texas Rangers. Hughes served as the Chief of the Taylor Volunteer Fire Department (TVFD), now called the Avery-Pickett Fire Department.
City officials said the TVFD has no affiliation with the City of Taylor and should not to be confused with the City of Taylor Fire Department.
According to the release, the joint investigation started in October 2020. The investigation revealed that Hughes Jr. opened a joint bank account in the name of the TVFD shortly before being named chief of the department. Once he was named chief, he became the sole signatory authority on the account, and no other members of the department had access.
Investigators said Hughes Jr. made cash withdrawals of $56,900 in August of 2014 and October of 2020, withdrew by checks made out to his name totaling $173,200 from the account between 2016 and 2019, directly transferred $87,000 to his personal account between July of 2019 and October of 2020, utilized a debit card associated with the account from May of 2017 through October of 2020 for unauthorized purchases totaling $50,583.26, and used funds from the account to pay off personal credit card debt.
Officials said the grand total of Hughes' transactions exceeded $317,000.
Furthermore, officials said Hughes Jr. trained purported members of TVFD in a fire academy.
Records from the Texas Forest Service revealed Hughes Jr. submitted applications for training reimbursement on approximately 16 occasions between 2015 and 2020, according to officials. The applications were allegedly signed by Hughes Jr., and investigators subsequently obtained written statements from six people that stated they either never attended the training or never completed the training for which Hughes Jr. submitted the applications.
Officials said bank records show that the checks used as proof of payment were never negotiated and, as a result, Hughes Jr. received approximately $43,600 in funds from Texas Forest Service as reimbursement for funds that were never expended by TVFD.
Records indicate he has since been released on bond.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: