-Caveat Lector-
[Seems to me that they only got the small fish. I wonder where the
other $200 million went.? --MS]
http://news.excite.com/news/ap/010523/19/education-fraud
11 Charged in $1M Fraud Scheme
Updated: Wed, May 23 7:27 PM EDT
By GREG TOPPO, AP Education Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Authorities charged 11 people in
what a federal prosecutor called a million-dollar
fraud scheme against the Education Department.
The suspects, all of whom live in Maryland and the
District of Columbia, defrauded the government of more
than $300,000 in property and more than $700,000 in
false overtime claims, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Wainstein
said Wednesday.
The indictments are part of a long-term investigation
into the department, in which several people, among
them three former employees, already pleaded guilty.
Wainstein said one suspect, Elizabeth Mellen of
Washington, a department employee, ordered computers,
cellular telephones, video cameras and other
electronics on department accounts but kept the items
for herself, friends and family members.
Wainstein alleged also that Mellen routed a department
toll-free telephone number to a friend's home so
relatives could call long-distance; gave friends
department cell phones on which they made "hundreds or
thousands" of personal calls; and approved thousands
of dollars in overtime pay for employees who either
didn't work the hours or used the time to shop for
Mellen or install telephone wiring at her home and the
homes of others.
On one occasion, Wainstein said, workers claimed work
time for driving to Baltimore to buy crab cakes for
Mellen.
Congress has been scrutinizing the department's books
since learning last year of theft schemes in which $3
million in grants was stolen.
Education Secretary Rod Paige last month said he would
appoint an eight-person "strike team" to hit at waste,
fraud and errors in the department. Paige promised to
deliver "a clean audit" in 18 months.
The department has a $44.5 billion budget and manages
billions more in student loans. In the last three
years of the Clinton administration, the department
lost track of $450 million, the department's chief
inspector told lawmakers last April, although $250
million of it eventually was accounted for.
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Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT
FROM THE DESK OF:
*Michael Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends
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