Court rejects appeal from ex-UC Davis fire chief accused in embezzlement case
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- An appeal was denied for Nathan Trauernicht who is accused in an embezzlement case.
- Treuernicht faces a felony charge of misappropriating public funds.
- Trauernicht was asking the appellate court to overturn a Yolo Superior Court ruling.
A three-judge panel rejected an appeal from a former UC Davis fire chief accused in an embezzlement case who was seeking entry into a mental health diversion program that could have resulted in the dismissal of his felony charge.
The California Third Appellate District Court summarily denied a petition filed by Nathan Trauernicht seeking to overturn a Yolo Superior Court ruling in his embezzlement case. A summary denial means the court made its decision without a hearing or issuing a formal written opinion.
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 in January 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. She worked for Trauernicht at the UC Davis Fire Department for more than four years before leaving her campus job in January 2024.
In February, Judge Paul Richardson sentenced McFadden to 180 days in the Yolo County Jail. The judge ordered her to pay $42,000 in restitution, which she has already paid, court records show. She also was ordered to serve probation and was given the opportunity to apply for an alternative sentencing program through the Yolo County Jail. Those programs are offered and administered by the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office.
An investigation into an alleged improper relationship at the UC Davis Fire Department led authorities to uncover the fraudulent timesheets and what a prosecutor described as evidence of “creepy behavior” by the fire chief toward two female subordinate employees.
Mental health diversion program
Last November, 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 could have been dismissed after successful completion of the diversion program.
On Jan. 9, Trauernicht filed a petition with the appellate court seeking to overturn Richardson’s ruling. The appellate court rejected the petition on Friday.
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.
Displays of ‘creepy behavior’
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 Yolo Superior Court on Aug. 8, when the court is expected to determine a trial schedule.
