Liberty County Fire Marshal William Hergemuller was terminated from his position Friday following a months-long Texas Rangers investigation and allegations that he abused his power and stole items from car crash scenes.
County commissioners terminated Hergemueller’s employment as fire marshal and the head of the Liberty County Office of Emergency Management during a brief meeting Friday afternoon.
Reading a statement aloud, Liberty County Commissioner Greg Arthur said the commissioners court will do what is necessary moving forward to ensure every person appointed to positions in the county is qualified under the law.
“The events that have unfolded this week have presented us with an opportunity to develop and adopt more stringent review processes for all county-appointed officials,” Arthur said.
Hergemueller, 63, and two other fire marshal’s office employees were arrested this week and face charges including official oppression, tampering with evidence and government records, and theft.
Arrest affidavit records assert the marshal would gain early access to hazmat scenes and use his official capacity to “bully owners of towing services” by demanding they pay hazmat service fees. The request would lead towing company owners to believe they must comply in order to protect their livelihood and continue working with Liberty County.
The towing companies paid several thousands of dollars over time.
64-year-old Erskine Holcomb and 49-year-old Jesse McGraw were arrested and charged for their role in the scheme.
At the scene of an overturned 18-wheeler crash in 2022, Hergemueller, Holcomb and other members of the South Liberty County Hazardous Materials Team stole products from an overturned 18-wheeler loaded with duck meat, high-end cheese, croissants, butter and venison. They punched a hole in the upright tank of the truck and siphoned the diesel into a 55-gallon drum in the bed of their hazmat vehicle, according to court documents.
The men conducted fire inspections in daycares, schools, businesses, the Liberty County Jail and gas stations without the proper state licenses and permits. Hergemueller also led arson investigations without proper licenses and signed an unknown amount of certificates of occupancy certifying inspections.
In a press conference, District Attorney Jennifer Bergman said the men admitted to their charges after they were booked into the county jail.
“Liberty County is a place where you can find justice and Liberty County is a place where we hold wrongdoers accountable,” Bergman said. “It is my commitment to the people of Liberty County and to the state of Texas.”
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