BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — The latest report from the Office of the Inspector General details the alleged misuse of company-purchased asphalt by a Bureau of Highways worker.
A complaint was issued in October 2023 alleging that the employee used asphalt purchased by the Bureau of Highways to enlarge the driveway at his house so his wife had somewhere to park her car.
In addition, the complaint alleged that extra asphalt was purchased for a county paving job so there would be more for the employee to use for his home.
That complaint was later determined to be unfounded.
Once the complaint was received, the Inspector General's Office launched a full investigation into the matter, interviewing other employees allegedly involved in the paving of the driveway.
Each employee, including the crew chief, denied having any knowledge or involvement. However, the Office said that evidence collected during the investigation contradicted their stories.
The employee claimed that he paid another person $400 to complete the work.
Using Google Maps images, investigators determined that the driveway was done around August 2019 and October 2022.
They also found that on May 26, 2020, and May 27, 2020, trucks belonging to the Bureau of Highways had gone to the home after leaving locations where hot asphalt had been used to fill in utility cuts.
From paving receipts, the repaving tickets, and the interview with the crew chief, it was determined that there should have been 4.64 tons of asphalt left over from the jobs in May. The trucks carrying that asphalt were seen at the employee's home after the utility cuts were complete.
Investigators say the interviews did not explain what happened to the leftover asphalt.
Although the employee denied the claim that he used the asphalt on his driveway, there are no records supporting his claim that he paid someone to do the job, according to the OIG.
With the evidence, the OIG concluded that it was more than likely that the employee did use the asphalt to pave a new driveway with the help of his coworkers and to the knowledge of his crew chief.
The Office recommended that the Bureau of Highways implement a policy requiring that the disposal of leftover asphalt be documented in some way or form.
The full report can be read below:
