City probes reported timecard abuse

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - An investigation into allegations of employee timecard fraud within the city of Albuquerque’s Aviation Department revealed problems with the payroll system and may lead to criminal charges for an employee, KRQE News 13 has learned.

“It looks like there may be some issues here that could be criminal,” Carmen Kavelman, director of the city’s Office of Internal Audit and Investigations, told News 13.

The office launched an investigation of an administrative assistant who worked in the finance division at the International Sunport. Other employees accused the person of getting paid for hours not worked.

The investigation covered a one-year period from August 2007 to September, 2008.

An analysis of the employee’s timesheets, employee badge swipes, training records and work outside the airport office revealed concerns about 177 of 217 working days.

According to the investigative report, 326 hours were found where the employee possibly falsified her timesheet.

“There were some concerns that rose to the surface,” said Peter Pierotti, an assistant city attorney assigned to the Sunport. “I think the end result of the investigation was there may be have some abuses.”

The report estimates the employee’s questionable conduct may have cost the city more than $5,700 over the one-year period.

But Kavelman said the total loss could be more simply because auditors limited their investigation to those 12 months.

“There appeared to be a lot of times when the employee got paid, and the hours were recorded as payable time, but it didn’t match up when they were coming in and out of the parking lot and when they were coming in and out of the administrative area,” Kavelman said.

The findings also revealed fundamental problems with how the administrative assistant’s payroll records were handled by her superiors.

According to Kavelman, those who signed off on the employee’s timesheets were not fully versed on government rules and regulations.

“You have to be able to verify what you’re signing,” Kavelman said. “I don’t sign any payroll that I don’t know is true.”

Aviation officials said the investigation sparked change and a renewed emphasis on following proper payroll procedure.

“As a result of the investigation there were some rule changes that were put into effect,” Pierotti said. “Overall the items addressed in the investigation were tightened up in the aviation department.”

It’s hard to say what will become of the investigation or the employee at the center of it.

According to Pierotti, the woman no longer works for the Aviation Department.

City officials would not confirm her name because the issue is still considered a personnel matter.

In the meantime, the results of the investigation have been turned over to the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office for review.

Much of what the city does at this point depends on what’s decided by the DAs office.