Investigative Reports

The OIG investigated allegations that a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Office of Law Enforcement and Security supervisor misused U.S. Government equipment and employee time in support of his personal business. It was also alleged that the supervisor made a wasteful purchase of a $3,250 mountain bike, misused a Government-owned vehicle and other Government-owned equipment for personal use, and inappropriately assigned himself to fire assignments where he earned overtime.We determined that the supervisor violated U.S. Department of the Interior policy on the use of Government property and 5 C.F.R. 2635.704, “Use of Government Property,” when he used Government equipment and employee time to support his personal business. We also found that the mountain bike purchase, although authorized, was wasteful. We determined that the supervisor had not misused a Government-owned vehicle for personal use, nor had he inappropriately assigned himself fire assignments.

We investigated an allegation that an official at the Southern Campaign Parks Group (SOCA), National Park Service (NPS), an artist, and a park friends group conspired to set up the purchase of one of the artist’s paintings via a 2015 transaction with the friends group so that the artist could avoid a Federal tax garnishment. We also investigated the timing of the art purchase that seemed to coincide with a funding increase in the cooperative agreement between the friends group and Kings Mountain National Military Park (KIMO), a park within SOCA.We found that the SOCA official directed the NPS’ acquisition of a $39,000 painting by the artist in 2015 and structured the purchase using the friends’ group as a broker for the sale even though the friends’ group did not own the painting. This structure allowed the artist, the painting’s true owner, to avoid a Federal tax garnishment that would have been imposed on him had he sold the painting directly to the NPS. The SOCA official admitted to coordinating the transaction with both the artist and the friends group, which included dictating that the friends group receive a $4,000 fee for its role in the transaction.In addition, we found that NPS contracting officials and KIMO staff did not follow Federal regulations and U.S. Department of the Interior procurement policies during the acquisition of the painting; specifically, the NPS and KIMO should have purchased the painting through a competitive bidding process rather than using sole source procedures.We also found that KIMO increased the annual funding to the friends group’s cooperative agreement by $25,000 around the same time the SOCA official began coordinating the purchase of the painting, but we found no direct connection between the friends group’s role in acquiring the painting and the increase in funding. We did find, however, that KIMO staff improperly extended the period of performance of the cooperative agreement without authorization from contracting officials.The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina declined prosecution. We provided this report to the NPS Deputy Director Exercising the Authority of Director.

The OIG investigated allegations that contractor George Patton, after being debarred from Government contracting by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), created several companies through family members and another associate and improperly obtained U.S. Government contracts from 2013 to 2015. We found that Patton was debarred from Government contracting via a voluntary exclusion agreement with the DOI during this time frame.We found that George Patton’s brother, Henry Patton; his ex-wife, Lindsey Patton; and others created four companies after George Patton’s debarment to allow him to continue bidding on and managing Government contracts, in violation of his exclusion agreement. While Patton was debarred, the four companies obtained multiple Government contracts valued at over $5 million combined. We found that George Patton received the majority of the proceeds and that the partners only participated nominally in their respective companies. During our investigation, we also uncovered evidence that George Patton and Lindsey Patton failed to report income from the companies to the Federal Government via individual tax returns.In October 2018, George Patton pleaded guilty in the Middle District of North Carolina to one count of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, and one count of tax evasion. He was later sentenced to 10 months of confinement, 36 months of supervised release, and a $300 assessment. In October 2018, Henry Patton pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and was later sentenced to 36 months of probation and a $100 assessment. In November 2018, Lindsey Patton pleaded guilty to tax evasion and was later sentenced to 36 months of probation and a $100 assessment. George and Lindsey Patton were also ordered to jointly pay restitution in the amount of $107,625.75.

An Amtrak Service/Train Attendant in Chicago, Illinois, was terminated from employment on May 23, 2019, following an administrative hearing for violating company policy. Our investigation found that the employee used a Social Security number that did not belong to her and lied to Human Resources personnel when questioned about it.

A former Amtrak Lead Service Attendant in Chicago, Illinois, entered into an agreement with the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, to participate in the Veteran’s Treatment Court program for a period of two years for the theft of funds from the company. The former employee was also ordered to pay $2,418 in restitution. The former employee was previously arrested on June 1, 2018 and was subsequently terminated by the company on August 23, 2018.

The OIG investigated allegations that a National Park Service (NPS) Facility Manager stole NPS funds, abused his purchase card authority, misused a Government Owned Vehicle (GOV), and concealed criminal convictions to gain NPS employment.We confirmed the allegations. The employee spent approximately $2,297 on his Government purchase card to purchase items that he later pawned. We also confirmed that the employee leased roll-away dumpsters with Federal funds, partially to discard personal items. The employee also regularly used a GOV for personal errands. Finally, we found that prior to his employment, the employee falsified his application to the NPS by failing to disclose three criminal convictions.The employee pleaded guilty to three counts of misdemeanor theft in county court, was sentenced to 1 day in jail, and was ordered to pay full restitution. He resigned from the NPS in lieu of termination.This is a summary of a report we issued to the NPS Deputy Director Exercising the Authority of Director.

In a joint investigation with the U.S. Department of Education OIG, we investigated allegations of suspected bank fraud and identity theft after discovering evidence that Sharon Hall obtained fraudulent student loans while employed as a surface mine specialist for the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) in London, KY.We found that Hall committed bank fraud and identity theft when she obtained nine student loans totaling more than $93,000 in the names of relatives using false representations and pretenses. She subsequently retired from the OSMRE.On January 12, 2018, the Federal District Court in the Eastern District of Kentucky convicted Hall of 11 counts of 18 U.S.C. § 1344 (Bank Fraud) and 1 count of 18 U.S.C. § 1028 (Aggravated Identity Theft). She was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $128,273.54 in restitution.This is a summary of an investigative report we issued to the OSMRE Deputy Director.

The OIG investigated allegations that Foster Construction of South Florida, Inc., a National Park Service (NPS) prime contractor, did not fully compensate its subcontractor for construction services on two projects at the Virgin Islands National Park.We found that Adrian Foster, the owner of Foster Construction, submitted false payment applications to the NPS on two construction contracts when she certified that Foster Construction had paid the subcontractor all monies due for work completed under the contracts when it had not.Foster pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court of the Virgin Islands for violating 18 U.S.C. § 1001, “False Statements,” and was subsequently sentenced to 22 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution totaling $135,507. Foster and Foster Construction were also debarred from participation in Federal procurement and nonprocurement programs for approximately 3 years.This is a summary of a report we issued to the NPS Deputy Director Exercising the Authority of Director.