North Texas fire chief arrested on theft over $150K after investigation of dept. accounts
The fire and rescue chief for New Fairview was arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 8, on a felony theft charge, according to court records.
Arne Wissman is charged with theft of property valued between $150,000 and $300,000 in connection to an alleged offense that happened in September, records show.
New Fairview Fire Rescue identified a discrepancy in its bank accounts and notified the appropriate authorities to investigate the matter, the volunteer fire department said in news release.
“We deeply regret what has occurred and the impact it has had on our community,” New Fairview Fire Rescue stated.
“We acknowledge that this situation has caused a significant loss of trust, and we are taking every step necessary to earn it back,” the department said in the release. “We have implemented procedures to ensure that incidents like this never happen again.”
An arrest warrant affidavit describing more details of the charge was not immediately available.
Wissman turned himself in to the Wise County Jail on Jan. 8, and was released the same day after posting his $50,000 bond.
New Fairview City Administrator John Cabrales confirmed that Wissman remained the department’s fire chief until his arrest, the Wise County Messenger reported.
“We are disheartened to hear this news but wish to make it clear that to the City’s knowledge no city funds are involved in this alleged theft,” the City of New Fairview said in a news release.
New Fairview Fire Rescue is a nonprofit organization that is operated by its members and is not affiliated with the City of New Fairview, although the city has a fire protection agreement with the organization, the release stated.
The city administrator met with the leadership team of New Fairview Fire Rescue to assure continued fire protection service to New Fairview businesses and residents, according to the statement.
Wissman also works for Wise County EMS and is on administrative leave, EMS Chief Randall Preuninger told the Wise County Messenger.
This story was originally published January 9, 2025 at 3:33 PM.