Posted 1:18 am Friday, February 03, 2012
Texas Rangers Taking Over Investigation Of Whitehouse Officials
By KELLY GOOCH
Staff Writer
All findings from an investigation into two Whitehouse officials will be handed over to the Texas Rangers, Smith County Precinct 3 Constable Dustin Rust said Thursday.
“It's getting too big, and too many people are involved (for the constable's office to handle it) ...” he said, adding there are more people of interest.
After reviewing the number of people involved, there also may be conflict of interest, Rust said, since the constable's office is professionally acquainted with many of the people.
The decision to hand findings over to the Texas Rangers comes after Rust's announcement Wednesday that Fire Chief Ronny Fite and Police Chief Rick Waller are under investigation for financial irregularities and other undisclosed allegations.
Staff Writer
All findings from an investigation into two Whitehouse officials will be handed over to the Texas Rangers, Smith County Precinct 3 Constable Dustin Rust said Thursday.
“It's getting too big, and too many people are involved (for the constable's office to handle it) ...” he said, adding there are more people of interest.
After reviewing the number of people involved, there also may be conflict of interest, Rust said, since the constable's office is professionally acquainted with many of the people.
The decision to hand findings over to the Texas Rangers comes after Rust's announcement Wednesday that Fire Chief Ronny Fite and Police Chief Rick Waller are under investigation for financial irregularities and other undisclosed allegations.
Fite currently is being investigated for financial irregularities in the fire department's budget, along with issues from when he worked for the city, Rust said in a news release. Authorities also are investigating other allegations against Fite, who resigned as city manager in 2009 and was terminated from his position as fire marshal effective Jan. 31.
Rust said Wednesday that Waller is being investigated for acquiring fuel in his personal vehicle from city pumps. He was allegedly getting reimbursement from the city while using city fuel, according to a news release.
No charges have been filed, and the cases are still under investigation.
Fite did not return messages Wednesday seeking comment.
Waller declined to comment on Wednesday, saying in an email, “This is all very new, (and) although I have not done anything wrong I would prefer to not make any comments at this time.”
Rusk has said Fite's investigation, which has been going on maybe five months, started after some fire staff members contacted the constable's office about missing funds.
“They contacted us and said ‘Hey, something is not right,'” he said Wednesday. “At the time, (Fite) was still employed as fire marshal. We started looking at those records too, and that's when we noticed discrepancies of fuel with (Waller).”
Now, it remains to be seen whether information will end up before a grand jury.
“We still don't even know if anything's there,” Rust said by phone Thursday. “We're just looking at some things that aren't right.”
Rust said Wednesday that Waller is being investigated for acquiring fuel in his personal vehicle from city pumps. He was allegedly getting reimbursement from the city while using city fuel, according to a news release.
No charges have been filed, and the cases are still under investigation.
Fite did not return messages Wednesday seeking comment.
Waller declined to comment on Wednesday, saying in an email, “This is all very new, (and) although I have not done anything wrong I would prefer to not make any comments at this time.”
Rusk has said Fite's investigation, which has been going on maybe five months, started after some fire staff members contacted the constable's office about missing funds.
“They contacted us and said ‘Hey, something is not right,'” he said Wednesday. “At the time, (Fite) was still employed as fire marshal. We started looking at those records too, and that's when we noticed discrepancies of fuel with (Waller).”
Now, it remains to be seen whether information will end up before a grand jury.
“We still don't even know if anything's there,” Rust said by phone Thursday. “We're just looking at some things that aren't right.”
