Steve Sanguedolce

Fire Chief Steve Sanguedolce

At least four volunteers have been staying at the fire station every Saturday and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the past month, according to Magnolia VFD Chief Steve Sanguedolce.The department had been discussing the idea of having firefighters at the station on weekends for the past two years, he said.Volunteers already have been staffing the two department stations nightly during the week, Sanguedolce said.Paid firefighters are at the stations Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m."That's been in effect for the past seven to eight years," he said.The volunteer program has taken off since it was started, Sanguedolce said."The guys have been really dedicated," he said.
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"We want consistent coverage," Sanguedolce said.With a volunteer force, there is no telling who or how many will show up for any particular fire, he said."Having consistent coverage gives me piece of mind as chief and hopefully gives the community piece of mind," he said.By staffing on weekends, people know the department will be able to get at least one truck dispatched immediately when a call comes in, Sanguedolce said.
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The department relies on support from the community in order to be able to serve the area, Sanguedolce said."This is the next step toward round-the-clock coverage for southwest Montgomery County," he said.Magnolia VFD tries to give the community more than it pays in taxes, he said."We're dedicated to make the area a safer place to live, work and travel through," he said.
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Secondly, in a copy of a letter to Magnolia VFD Fire Chief, Steve Sanguedolce, Thornton wrote: "I received a letter from Conroe Mayor Tommy Metcalf on June 7, expressing his gratitude on behalf of the City of Conroe for Magnolia VFD's assistance and expertise with regard to a fire in downtown Conroe on June 4.
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In an interview with the Tribune, MVFD Fire Chief Steve Sanguedolce presented the timeline.The first 9-1-1 call was received from a female using a cell phone just after 3:23 p.m.The call was dispatched to the MVFD a minute later, and firefighters immediately began responding to their respective fire stations.One fire engine was on the way within four minutes, and the first engine to reach the scene did so just about 11-1/2 minutes after the MVFD had been notified.Sanguedolce indicated there were some minimal delays because the caller had stated, and then spelled out, the street as Belmont, not Beaumont, to the dispatcher.
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Sanguedolce also dispelled rumors that equipment was not in the fire stations."All but one piece of equipment were in their designated stations at the time the fire was called in.That unit was at a membership drive at the new Kroger store at the intersection of FM 1488 and FM 2978," he noted.

In addition to working in Magonolia, Steve Sanguedolce also works as a firefighter for the Houston Fire Department.

KHOU-TV

Steve Sanguedolce resigned as Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department Chief.

According to a search warrant, he's accused of using money from the Magnolia Fire Department to pay firefighters in Houston to cover his shifts.

The FBI raided his office last Friday.

The FBI raided the office Magnolia Fire Chief Steve Sanguedolce on Friday night.

KHOU-TV

Steve Sanguedolce

The Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department is a small one now caught up in a criminal investigation that started with the FBI, who contacted the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.

On Friday, a search warrant was executed at the station.Officials were looking for financial and operational records, particularly interested in expenditures and payroll from 2000-06.

The next day, Sanguedolce offered his letter of resignation.His position was a paid position at the department.

Sanguedolce has also worked for the Houston Fire Department since 1990.He was posted at Station 68 as an EMT, but he has been put on administrative leave.

There are no formal charges at this point, but two independent sources told 11 News that Sanguedolce is suspected of using his Magnolia income to cover his shifts in Houston and that he rarely showed up for work at HFD.

An attorney with the Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department said he wanted citizens to know the investigation has not compromised rescue services.

Chief: Steve Sanguedolce

The FBI raided the office Magnolia Fire Chief Steve Sanguedolce on Friday night.

The Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department is a small one now caught up in a criminal investigation that started with the FBI, who contacted the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.

On Friday, a search warrant was executed at the station.Officials were looking for financial and operational records, particularly interested in expenditures and payroll from 2000-06.

The next day, Sanguedolce offered his letter of resignation.His position was a paid position at the department.

Sanguedolce has also worked for the Houston Fire Department since 1990.He was posted at Station 68 as an EMT, but he has been put on administrative leave.

There are no formal charges at this point, but two independent sources told 11 News that Sanguedolce is suspected of using his Magnolia income to cover his shifts in Houston and that he rarely showed up for work at HFD.

An attorney with the Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department said he wanted citizens to know the investigation has not compromised rescue services.

Fire Chief Sanguedolce resigns amid allegations of misuse of funds
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On Friday evening, February 24, law enforcement agents entered the central Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department station on FM 1774 downtown and seized numerous records that will be used in an ongoing investigation into Fire Chief Steve Sanguedolce's financial dealings and possible misappropriation of department funds.On the heels of the files being confiscated, Sanguedolce offered his resignation two days later on Sunday.

The allegations of financial wrongdoing stem from Sanguedolce's position with the Houston Fire Department, where he has been employed for the past 16 years in addition to his paid position as Magnolia Fire Chief, and whether MVFD funds were used to pay HFD firefighters to cover his assigned shifts.Pending resolution of the investigation, Sanguedolce has been placed on administrative duty by the HFD.There are also separate allegations that he misused his MVFD credit card to pay for personal expenses not previously approved that were not subsequently reimbursed.

If the allegations are proven correct, Sanguedolce would have violated one of more statutes of the Texas penal code that govern use of public funds.
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Sanguedolce was in a meeting at the fire station at the time.
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This individual was the one who supplied information that Sanguedolce had been using the credit card for personal expenses.

Firefighters within the department or recently terminated also supplied information which aided the initial investigation and eventually led to the search warrant, including a claim that one firefighter, fired by Sanguedolce in January, had seen reimbursement checks for firefighters not employed by the MVFD.
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The 29-day suspensions affected the entire staff, based on a violation of the fire deparment's policy revolving around a motion to oust the fire board member assigned to the station. at the time, Sanguedolce told the Tribune that it was a "highly regrettable incident."

Officials stress that there has been no interruption or change in the level of emergency services being offered to the community by the Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department.

Sanguedolce has not been available for comment.

In a Tribune interview, Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department Chief, Steve Sanguedolce, discussed the burn ban, the fireworks ban and the measures that residents can take to ensure that accidental fires are not started.

"First of all, it is important that everyone adhere to the burn ban. Citizens can find out more information on the restrictions by visiting our Web site at www.magnoliafire.org, by calling our office at 281-356-3288 or by calling the Montgomery County Fire Marshal's Office at 936-538-8288," Sanguedolce said.
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Sanguedolce also pointed out other problem areas that community residents need to be cognizant of in these severely dry conditions.

According to Fire Chief Steve Sanguedolce, in all MVFD sent 17 firefighters and four units to support the efforts to extinguish the blaze.

Former Magnolia Volunteer Fire Department Chief Steve Sanguedolce has been convicted of abuse of official capacity, a third degree felony, after an investigation by the FBI and Montgomery County District Attorney's Office revealed he misappropriated Magnolia VFD funds.

Sanguedolce accepted a plea deal, which included a 10-year suspended prison sentence, meaning he will not spend any time in prison but rather will be on probation for the next decade, said Montgomery County District Attorney's Office Investigator Brett Peabody. If he were to violate the terms of his probation, Sanguedolce could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.

Sanguedolce accepted the deal last week and was sentenced in the 221st District Court. As part of the conviction, Sanguedolce is no longer allowed to work as a firefighter in Montgomery County, Peabody said.
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Sanguedolce will also have to pay restitution to the Magnolia VFD of approximately $40,000, Peabody added.
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The investigation into Sanguedolce began in late February when investigators raided the Magnolia VFD station on FM 1774 and seized financial records.
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The investigation revealed that Sanguedolce paid Houston firefighters to work his shifts in Houston with Magnolia VFD funds. Sanguedolce also set up Houston firefighters as Magnolia VFD employees in order to receive a paycheck, Peabody said.
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Sanguedolce also misused his Magnolia VFD credit card for personal use.
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While Sanguedolce was the primary target in the investigation, Peabody said investigators saw no reason to suspect Houston firefighters of any wrongdoing.
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Sanguedolce was placed on administrative leave at the onset of the investigation and subsequently resigned.