PHOENIX — Two cases of potential fraud with City of Phoenix employees are being evaluated for criminal charges, the city said.
The City of Phoenix discovered two separate cases of alleged fraud involving three individuals and police are forwarding both cases to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, according to a news release from the City of Phoenix.
The first case is of a firefighter who is accused of receiving pay for employment with the city, even though investigators believe he had not shown up to work for over a year. According to the investigation conducted by Phoenix police, the employee was paying other people to cover his shifts while he operated his own business. Detectives also believe the man’s supervisor was aware of his actions.
The firefighter’s case was forwarded to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office and it was recommended that criminal charges be filed against both the firefighter and his supervisor, according to the release.
In the second case, police believe a city employee defrauded $70,000 in funds from the Emergency Rental Assistance program, otherwise known as the ERA program. The employee is accused of falsely helping relatives receive approval for ERA funds, the press release states.
A criminal investigation into the ERA funds began immediately and an internal investigation was also launched, as well as an audit of policies and procedures. The employee who is accused of the fraud resigned and will be required to pay back the funds, which will be returned to the federal treasury, the press release said.
The City encourages anyone with information regarding potential employee fraud or other criminal activity to report it immediately. Tips for these criminal behaviors came in through integrity hotlines.
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