BALTIMORE (WMAR) — The Office of the Inspector General used car GPS data and building entry data to prove that a Department of Transportation employee was putting down overtime for hours they didn’t work.
A report released Wednesday by the Baltimore City Inspector General revealed a Department of Transportation employee abused the overtime system.
According to the report, the abuse happened during the sinkhole incident around Camden Yards which resulted in weeks of street closures and congestion.
Investigators were first made aware of the abuse after receiving a complaint through a city hotline.
The employee had reportedly put in for one hour of overtime before eight separate shifts spanning from July 15-19 and July 22-24 in 2019.
But the Inspector General found that the employee didn't actually work those hours, and came in at or after his normal 6 a.m. start time.
To prove the employee didn't work the overtime, the Inspector General reviewed GPS data from the employee's work vehicle and times of when the employee entered their assigned work building.
Both showed no work activity prior to their normal shift.
The employee's immediate and secondary supervisors signed off on the overtime, even though they didn't pre-authorize the employee to work it. After they signed for the overtime, neither supervisor bothered to verify if the employee actually worked those hours.
Following the investigation, the employee received an unpaid 28-day suspension. Both supervisors were also disciplined, one of which will no longer be able to supervise according to the department.
