Tyler Don Hooper, a former Fredericksburg assistant finance director, was booked into the Gillespie County Jail on September 17 on a charge of fraudulent use or possession of identifying information involving 50 or more items.
Gillespie County booking record No. 26-00814 lists a $100,000 surety or cash bond and records his release on September 18. The record names the Fredericksburg Police Department.
The San Antonio Express-News also reported the first-degree felony charge after reviewing Gillespie County court records.
Before joining Fredericksburg, Hooper worked for Pampa and Dalhart. His municipal background included information technology and risk management before he became a city finance director.
What “50 or More” Means
Section 32.51 of the Texas Penal Code grades the offense by the number of items of identifying information obtained, possessed, transferred or used. The 50-or-more threshold refers to those items, not necessarily 50 different people.
Identifying information can include a name paired with a date of birth, a Social Security number, a government-issued identification number or a financial account number. The definition also covers certain electronic identifiers and biometric information, such as fingerprints. Several items can belong to the same person.
The statute requires intent to harm or defraud. For identifying information covered by that provision, the statute also requires that it be obtained, possessed, transferred or used without the person’s consent or effective consent.
Under Section 12.32, a first-degree felony carries a prison term of five to 99 years or life, with a possible fine of up to $10,000. Those are the statutory penalties for a conviction; Hooper currently faces the charge.
From Pampa to Dalhart
Pampa City Commission minutes from April 13, 2015, list Hooper as an information technology assistant. The minutes are included in the city’s April 27 agenda packet, which presented them to the commission for approval.
The city’s December 2021 minutes later named him among employees receiving recognition for 10 years of service. Fredericksburg subsequently described his Pampa tenure as more than 12 years in information technology and risk management.
Hooper then served as Dalhart’s finance director. Fredericksburg’s hiring announcement identifies Dalhart as his most recent employer and credits him with overseeing the city’s budget, investments and other finance responsibilities.
Joining Fredericksburg’s Finance Department
Fredericksburg announced Hooper’s appointment as assistant director of finance on November 20, 2025. The city said he would work with Finance Director Krista Wareham on budgeting, financial reporting and capital planning. His initial work included learning Fredericksburg’s financial procedures and supporting the department’s ongoing work.
The announcement described nearly 15 years of municipal experience and outlined his education. Hooper held a bachelor’s degree in business management and had completed an MBA with an emphasis in finance at Grand Canyon University in October 2025, shortly before joining Fredericksburg.
The Express-News reported that Hooper resigned from the position on September 9. City spokesman Sean Doerre declined to comment on the former employee.
All parties are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
