ALLEN, Texas — The president of an Allen firefighters union has been indicted in federal court and accused of defrauding the union for nearly five years.
Jeremy Painkin, the former president of the Allen Professional Firefighters Association, is accused of devising a scheme to defraud the group since 2018, the indictment states.
According to the indictment, Painkin used an account for the Allen Professional Firefighters Association to make personal expenditures while making the expenditures look like they were on behalf of the union.
The indictment accuses Painkin of transmitting an email containing misrepresentation in May of 2022, committing wire fraud.
Should Painkin be found guilty, the penalty for the charge is up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
Painkin's name is no longer listed on the Allen Professional Firefighters Association website. Painkin had been serving as union president for over a decade.
According to the city of Allen, no firefighters' pensions or personal benefits with the city were impacted. It also said that Painkin hasn't been an actual firefighter for the city for nearly a decade.
"Jeremy Pankin was employed by the Allen Fire Department from February 7, 2011, to May 12, 2015," a statement from the city reads. "The Allen Firefighters Association is an independent advocacy group and does not provide retirement funds or other direct financial benefits to Allen Fire Department personnel."
