Vermont officials have launched 21 investigations into possible time-sheet fraud among state workers since a Vermont State Police sergeant was caught committing the crime last July, the Burlington Free Press reports.
A Nov. 13 article in the Free Press says that four of those investigations were passed to law enforcement authorities for possible criminal investigation.
Four time-sheet cases have been referred to law enforcement for possible criminal investigation, said Steve Collier, the Human Resources legal counsel. Collier said the 21 cases involve 20 employees, but he was unable to specify any names, including the four sent for criminal investigations. The state has about 8,000 employees, including 7,000 permanent workers.
The investigations come after Sgt. James Deeghan of the Vermont State Police was charged and convicted in a time sheet fraud scandal last year. The allegations included fabricating traffic accidents, traffic tickets and other calls in an effort to boost his overtime pay. Deeghan got away with this for years, fraudulently claiming more than $200,000 from taxpayers.
