BOSTON -- A retired Boston firefighter who collects thousands each year in a disability pension was arrested in Texas after police found 41 pounds of marijuana in his sport utility vehicle, the Boston Herald reported.

Police pulled over Dennis J. Hogan, 53, of South Boston, for allegedly speeding on Interstate 40 near Woldorado, Texas, as he was en route back to Boston.

A Texas trooper found the marijuana in a bag in Hogan's SUV, the newspaper reported. Hogan, who retired in 2006 and collects $71,635 annually from the state, was charged with possession of marijuana greater than five pounds and less than 50 pounds.

Eight current or former Boston firefighters, including Hogan, have been arrested this year on charges that include solicitation of sex for a fee, drunken driving and rape, according to the Herald.

The city of Boston is in the process of negotiating a new contract with firefighters, and the issue of mandatory drug testing has been a sticking point. Currently, mandatory drug testing is not required for members of the fire department.

In August 2007, Boston firefighters Paul Cahill and Warren Payne were killed in a West Roxbury restaurant fire. News reports on the autopsies said that at the time of the fire, Payne had traces of cocaine in his system, and Cahill had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit.

A report released last month by the fire department's board of inquiry concluded that drugs and alcohol were not factors in their deaths.