ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque Police Chief’s right-hand man is under scrutiny. His co-worker is accusing him of using his city-issued credit card for personal gain.

Albuquerque Police Chief of Staff John Ross is accused of spending thousands of dollars on himself. The chief’s secretary alerted Chief Mike Geier about it and he requested to have his own Chief of Staff put under investigation.

“He improperly used the department’s p-card to purchase a $2500 laptop computer for personal reasons, because it’s not seen at the office apparently,” says Thomas Grover. He is the attorney for Paulette Diaz, secretary for Chief Geier.

Last month, Diaz sent a letter to Chief Geier explaining her concerns around Chief of Staff Ross’ behavior at work. The seven-page letter talks about Ross failing to get permission to buy an Apple TV and Macbook.

She also claims he tried to buy a bulletproof vest and unnecessarily spent taxpayer dollars to spruce up his police unit. “He independently went ahead and made this purchase without getting any of the necessary approvals, at least without hers or Chief Geier’s knowledge,” Grover says.

A week after Diaz sent her letter to Chief Geier, he submitted a request to the commander at Internal Affairs, requesting they investigate Ross. In Geier’s letter, he acknowledges Diaz’s claims and says he never signed off on Ross to purchase the Apple TV and laptop. He also added that he has never seen either at the office.

A spokesperson at APD says because this is an ongoing review, the department cannot comment. The spokesperson would also not say if Ross is still on the job or administrative leave.

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