A former Dallas County Fire Marshal assistant chief is facing criminal charges after surrendering to authorities Tuesday, months after being terminated from his position over a string of workplace misconduct allegations.
Zack Masri turned himself in and was booked into the Wylie jail before posting a $15,000 bond and being released the same day. His attorney Mark Lassiter confirmed the surrender and bonding process.
The charges of theft and abuse of official capacity stem from an investigation led by Texas Rangers with the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office issued the arrest warrant though specific details of the alleged incidents had not been made publicly available as of Tuesday evening.
Wylie Police Sgt. Donald English confirmed that Masri was arrested. The full scope of the criminal allegations remains under review as investigators continue their work.
Masri’s arrest comes roughly four months after Dallas County terminated his employment following a series of reported workplace violations. Personnel records previously obtained by The Dallas Morning News outlined allegations that included pointing a firearm at a coworker in what was described as a joke and using derogatory language toward female colleagues.
He was also accused of drafting an email meant to defend his office and then arranging for a county commissioner to send it as their own. Those infractions reportedly led to his firing before the criminal investigation advanced to formal charges.
Lassiter maintained that his client is not guilty of any wrongdoing. “While we understand the process we look forward to proving Zack’s innocence” the attorney said while declining to elaborate further on the case.
The case draws renewed attention to conduct standards within Dallas County’s fire marshal operations and raises questions about how alleged misconduct by senior officials is handled both administratively and through the criminal justice system.