Ex-UC Davis fire chief accused in embezzlement case wants to appeal court ruling
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- An accused former UC Davis fire chief wants to appeal a Yolo Superior Court ruling.
- He is accused of approving $42,000 overtime pay for a female executive assistant.
- A judge in November denied his request for a mental health diversion program.
A former UC Davis fire chief accused in an embezzlement case wants to overturn a court ruling denying him entry into a mental health diversion program that could have resulted in the dismissal of his felony charge.
Nathan Trauernicht faces a felony charge of misappropriating public funds while serving as the UC Davis fire chief. Trauernicht, 46, is accused of approving fraudulent timesheets for his then executive assistant, Meagan Emily McFadden, while allegedly seeking a romantic relationship with her.
McFadden, 35, was convicted earlier this month after pleading no contest to a felony charge of misappropriating public money for fraudulently submitting 20 timesheets to receive about $42,000 in unearned overtime pay. McFadden is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 19 in Yolo Superior Court.
An investigation into an alleged improper relationship at the UC Davis Fire Department led authorities to uncover the fraudulently submitted timesheets and what a prosecutor called evidence of “creepy behavior” by the fire chief toward two female subordinate employees.
In November, Yolo Superior Court Judge Paul Richardson rejected Trauernicht’s request to suspend his case and admit him into a mental health diversion program. Had the judge granted the request, Trauernicht’s felony charge would have been dismissed after his successful completion of the diversion program.
On Jan. 9, Trauernicht filed a motion in the California Third Appellate District Court seeking to overturn Richardson’s ruling. The former fire chief also filed a motion in Yolo Superior Court indicating he is seeking to appeal Richardson’s ruling and asking the court to seal an unredacted version of his appeal while making a redacted version available to the public.
“The unredacted petition refers to highly sensitive, private information regarding his mental health disorders, symptoms and related treatment,” Gina Teddington, Trauernicht’s attorney in the appellate case, wrote in the motion filed on Monday .
Trauernicht’s attorney in the Yolo County criminal case, Steven Plesser, said at an October hearing that Trauernicht suffered from multiple diagnosed disorders that contributed to the alleged offense, including post-traumatic stress disorder that went “largely unrecognized and untreated” until 2024.
Deputy District Attorney Frits Van der Hoek said in court that Trauernicht claimed to suffer from PTSD and an anxiety disorder that caused him to have a lapse in his duties while on the job. The prosecutor told the judge that Trauernicht did not experience a momentary distraction, but instead approved numerous fraudulent timesheets for McFadden.
Van der Hoek told the judge that Trauernicht displayed “creepy behavior” in the workplace and approved fraudulent paychecks for McFadden, an employee with whom he was seeking a romantic relationship.
The prosecutor argued that when Trauernicht failed to form a romantic relationship with McFadden, he pursued a romantic relationship with another female subordinate. Van der Hoek said that relationship was ultimately exposed, and a search of Trauernicht’s phone revealed videos that depicted sexual behavior with the other female employee at the fire station.
Plesser argued that the prosecutor was advancing a theory of motive behind the alleged embezzlement. He said the theory was largely based on testimony from McFadden, even though she had been accused of perjury.
McFadden agreed to a plea deal with the Yolo County District Attorney’s Office. As part of the deal, prosecutors dropped a felony charge of embezzlement by a clerk or agent, along with an enhancement alleging aggravating circumstances.
The District Attorney’s Office also charged McFadden with perjury. In the criminal complaint, prosecutors alleged she took an oath to testify truthfully before a grand jury and provided statements she “knew to be false.” Prosecutors dropped the perjury charge as part of the plea deal.
Trauernicht has pleaded not guilty to the felony charge. His criminal case is scheduled to return to court March 5 to determine when to schedule a trial.
No hearings have been scheduled in the appellate case. It remains unclear whether proceedings in the appellate case will delay the start of Trauernicht’s trial.
