LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas — Liberty County’s embattled fire marshal is no longer on the job.
In a unanimous decision Friday, county commissioners voted to terminate Bill Hergemueller from the position they previously appointed him to.
The move comes after Hergemueller was arrested earlier in the week.
According to court records, Hergemueller is charged with theft by a public servant, tampering with a governmental record, officials suppression, and tampering with evidence.
The charges stem from witness reports that allege Hergemueller used his position to extort tow truck drivers and steal from 18-wheeler crash scenes. The former fire marshal is also accused of performing inspections and investigations without proper licenses.
The vote for Hergemueller’s termination came at a specially called Liberty County Commissioners Court meeting. Commissioners also voted to terminate Hergemueller from his role as director of the county’s Office of Emergency Management.
“We acknowledge that Mr. Hergemueller was not qualified to serve as fire marshal for Liberty County,” Pct. 2 commissioner Greg Arthur said. “The events that have unfolded this week present us with an opportunity to develop and adopt a more stringent review process for all county appointment officials. Moving forward, this court will do what is necessary to ensure that every person who is appointed to that position is Liberty County is qualified under the law.”
During the meeting, county attorney Matthew Poston explained that Hergemueller was previously appointed to the two-year fire marshal position in Sept. 2022, so he was up for renewal. Poston recommended the commissioners not only terminate Hergemueller but also vote not to renew his appointment.
Earlier this week, Hergemueller's two deputies, Nat Holcomb and Jesse McGraw were also arrested and charged, accused of various forms of misconduct.
The allegations against all three men originate from a series of complaints made to the Liberty County District Attorney’s Office in January that launched a Texas Rangers investigation.
After several months of investigating, the Texas Rangers had arrest warrants issued for all three.
Witness reports of theft and oppression
On Wednesday, Liberty County District Attorney Jennifer Berman further explained the charges against the Hergemueller and his deputies.
Reading from court documents, she explained that complaints were investigated where towing companies were led to believe by Hergemueller that “he runs Liberty County” and would send invoices to them for hazmat services.
Bergman said several thousand dollars have been paid over time by these towing companies. One tow truck company said that it had refused to pay such an invoice. As a result, they told investigators that Hergemueller, along with Holcomb, showed up to conduct fire inspections on their business, instilling fear into the owner of the tow truck company.
The Texas Rangers also investigated two crash scenes after complaints were made.
One of the crashes involved an 18-wheeler and diesel spillage. The South Liberty County Hazardous Materials Team responded to the scene. Investigators said Hergemueller and Holcomb were seen punching a hole in the tank of the big rig and siphoning the diesel into a 55-gallon drum.
The witnesses then saw hazmat members unload food products from the wrecked 18-wheeler and put them, along with the diesel, in their vehicles and drive away.
At the second scene, Hergemueller and Holcomb, along with other members of the hazmat team, responded to a deadly crash. Witnesses on scene saw a ramp being loaded into Hergemueller's vehicle and discovered missing car parts that had previously been on scene, but were no longer there.
In addition, Texas Rangers also discovered that Hergemueller, Holcomb, and McGraw did not have the required state licenses to perform fire inspections, approve plans or permits or licenses for fire investigations.
They also did not possess peace officer.