Tyler Don Hooper had been out of his Fredericksburg city job for eight days when he was booked into the Gillespie County Jail on a first-degree felony charge involving 50 or more items of identifying information.
A Gillespie County jail record lists Hooper’s September 17 booking on one count of fraudulent use or possession of identifying information involving 50 or more items. The record also lists a $100,000 bond. ABC 7 News reported that he was released the following day.
The San Antonio Express-News, which reviewed Gillespie County court records, also reported the first-degree felony charge and $100,000 bail. Fredericksburg spokesman Sean Doerre told the newspaper that Hooper had resigned as the city’s assistant finance director on September 9.
Fredericksburg had hired Hooper less than a year earlier after a municipal career that included more than a decade in Pampa and a year as Dalhart’s finance director. City records from all three municipalities document that progression.
The Number in the Charge Has a Specific Meaning
Hooper is charged under Texas Penal Code Section 32.51, which covers obtaining, possessing, transferring or using another person’s identifying information without the required consent and with intent to harm or defraud.
The statute counts pieces of information rather than people. Identifying information can include a name paired with a date of birth, Social Security number, government identification number, financial account or routing information, certain electronic identifiers and biometric data such as fingerprints or iris images.
That means one person can account for several items under the law. A charge involving 50 or more items therefore does not mean there must be 50 separate people involved.
The number also determines the felony level. Under Section 32.51, an offense involving 50 or more items is a first-degree felony. Texas Penal Code Section 12.32 sets the punishment range for a first-degree felony at five to 99 years or life in prison, with a possible fine of up to $10,000.
For people who discover that their own identifying information has actually been used without permission, the Federal Trade Commission’s IdentityTheft.gov provides steps for reporting the misuse and dealing with affected accounts. Hooper’s case remains at the charge stage.
His City Career Started in Pampa
Hooper’s municipal work predates his move into city finance. Official Pampa City Commission records from 2015 list Tyler Hooper as an IT assistant. By December 2021, another set of city minutes included him among employees receiving 10-year service recognition.
Fredericksburg later described Hooper as having spent more than 12 years with Pampa in information technology and risk management. He eventually moved into finance and joined the City of Dalhart in late 2024.
Dalhart’s November 25, 2024, City Council minutes record City Manager JJ Oznick introducing Hooper to the council as the city’s new finance director. He continued appearing in Dalhart council records as finance director through 2025, including the city’s October 13 meeting.
Fredericksburg announced Hooper’s next move on November 20, 2025. In its official hiring announcement, the city said Hooper would work with Finance Director Krista Wareham on budgeting, financial reporting and capital planning and would oversee utility billing operations with Utility Billing Officer Daisy Schneider.
Fredericksburg Hired Him Less Than a Year Before the Arrest
The Fredericksburg announcement said Hooper arrived with nearly 15 years of municipal experience. It credited him with responsibility for Dalhart’s budget, investments, utility billing and payroll during his time as finance director and noted his earlier Pampa work in IT and risk management.
The city also said Hooper had completed an MBA with an emphasis in finance in October 2025, one month before joining Fredericksburg. His initial duties included learning Fredericksburg’s financial processes, supporting the finance department and helping oversee utility billing.
Hooper remained in the assistant finance director position until September 9. Doerre confirmed the resignation date to the Express-News and declined to comment further on the former employee.
Eight days later, Hooper was booked in Gillespie County on the first-degree felony charge. All parties are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.