Investigative Reports

We received a hotline complaint in April 2024 from an individual asking the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to investigate why their conditional offer of employment with the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) was withdrawn. Based on what we learned during our initial investigation, we broadened our investigation to include a review of the CPSC’s compliance with
laws and regulations regarding all prescreen waivers accomplished during the time period defined below. 

This investigation covers events that occurred between July 2021 and June 2024. These events included the withdrawal of Complainant’s conditional offer of employment in October 2023.

OIG issued this report to consolidate its unresolved investigations-derived recommendations into a single resource for FCC, and to inform critical stakeholders of the threats to program integrity identified by FCC OIG’s investigative work. 

An Amtrak ticket/accounting representative based in Greensboro, North Carolina, was terminated from employment on March 27, 2025, following an administrative hearing. Our investigation found that the former employee violated company policy by allowing an unknown and un-ticketed individual to proceed to the train platform and put an unidentified package onto the train without knowing its contents. The package was subsequently found to contain illegal narcotics. The former employee is not eligible for rehire.

The AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General investigated potential displacement of paid staff at Hawaii Community Assets (HCA), undisclosed dual employment by a program official at HCA and Aloha United Way (AUW), and improper charging of time by two Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program officials at AUW.

A former AmeriCorps grantee staff member (“Complainant”) alleged that management at the grantee terminated the Complainant’s employment after the Complainant made a protected disclosure related to the Complainant’s concerns about the grantee’s financial management and stewardship. AmeriCorps OIG concluded that the evidence did not support the allegations of whistleblower retaliation. The grantee terminated the Complainant based on performance issues that predated any protected disclosure.

Two employees violated Amtrak policies by not disclosing a potential conflict of interest when they were assigned to a Technical Evaluation Committee for an infrastructure assessment program. While participating on the committee, both employees failed to disclose that a family member worked for one of the companies they were evaluating. One employee resigned and is not eligible for rehire, while the other received a final warning disciplinary letter.

The AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General investigated allegations that Movement of Youth, located in Durham, NC, improperly paid living allowances to AmeriCorps members before they were enrolled into the My AmeriCorps Portal and the AmeriCorps grants management system (eGrants).

The AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General investigated alleged whistleblower retaliation at an AmeriCorps grantee. Following receipt of AmeriCorps OIG's report summarizing the investigation, AmeriCorps did not substantiate the complaint or order relief. 

An Amtrak carman based in Miami, Florida, resigned from his position on March 17, 2025, following an interview with our agents. Our investigation found that the former employee violated company policies by leaving work early so he could report to a second job. The former employee is not eligible for rehire. Previously, another employee identified in this investigation also resigned from his position.

A train attendant based in Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced on March 12, 2025, in United States District Court, Northern District of Indiana, to two years of probation, and was ordered to pay $65,832 in restitution. Our investigation found that the employee
provided fraudulent documents and made false representations to obtain two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling $40,832, to which he was not entitled. Our investigation also found that the employee provided fraudulent information to the Illinois Housing Development Authority and was awarded a $25,000 grant based upon his false representations.
The employee pleaded guilty on May 14, 2024, to mail fraud.

An Amtrak lead service attendant based in Los Angeles, California, resigned from her position on March 7, 2025, in lieu of an administrative hearing. Our investigation found that the former employee violated company policies by engaging in outside employment while on a medical leave of absence and continuing to receive Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) sickness and supplemental sickness benefits during that time, and by making false representations in support of her RRB and unemployment insurance claims. The former employee is not eligible for rehire.