Engineering Department Investigation Handed Over to District Attorney
By: Johnny Gunter
Updated: September 5, 2012
Note: Johnny Gunter is an independent journalist who consults with KTVE/KARD. His views are his own and not that of KTVE/KARD management.
It's been so long in coming that the word on the street was that city engineer Sinyale Morrison was telling folks she was no longer worried about charges being brought against her.
In December 2011, District Attorney Jerry Jones asked State Police detectives to take a report by the state Legislative Auditor's Office and investigate for possible payroll fraud in Morrison's department.
That was after numerous media reports and the city's former human resource director Mike Rhymes reporting possible payroll fraud because Morrison was paying an unqualified employee, Ricardo Nance, overtime for hours he did not work.
After nine months investigating the allegations, State Police finally delivered its report Wednesday to the District Attorney's Office.
"We'll immediately begin an extensive review of the report, but it's quite lengthy," said Assistant District Attorney Neal Johnson, who has been named prosecutor in the case. "It's four inches thick plus it has other material on CDs." He would not phantom a guess on how long it will take to get the information to a grand jury.
Jones has said all along that he will present the report to a Ouachita Parish grand jury as soon as possible after the report is received. He made the same comment Wednesday.
Auditors pointed out that Morrison, who admitted she knew Nance was not qualified as a survey party chief, did not tell Nance's supervisors that he was survey party chief making about $54,000 a year. A surveyor trying to teach Nance the job, reported Nance was lazy and would not work if it was too hot or too cold. The employee said he often remained in the work truck talking on a cell phone.
The auditor reported that could be payroll fraud.
All in all, the Legislative Auditor outlined nine different possible violations of state law most of it involving thousands of dollars in overtime pay to Nance without documentation.
The auditor's report stated that Nance was paid about $3,000 on the South Third Street sidewalk project for "watching the concrete dry."
Morrison had originally hired Monroe attorney Johnny Carl Parkerson to represent her, but has since changed to Charles Kincade.
It's been so long in coming that the word on the street was that city engineer Sinyale Morrison was telling folks she was no longer worried about charges being brought against her.
In December 2011, District Attorney Jerry Jones asked State Police detectives to take a report by the state Legislative Auditor's Office and investigate for possible payroll fraud in Morrison's department.
That was after numerous media reports and the city's former human resource director Mike Rhymes reporting possible payroll fraud because Morrison was paying an unqualified employee, Ricardo Nance, overtime for hours he did not work.
After nine months investigating the allegations, State Police finally delivered its report Wednesday to the District Attorney's Office.
"We'll immediately begin an extensive review of the report, but it's quite lengthy," said Assistant District Attorney Neal Johnson, who has been named prosecutor in the case. "It's four inches thick plus it has other material on CDs." He would not phantom a guess on how long it will take to get the information to a grand jury.
Jones has said all along that he will present the report to a Ouachita Parish grand jury as soon as possible after the report is received. He made the same comment Wednesday.
Auditors pointed out that Morrison, who admitted she knew Nance was not qualified as a survey party chief, did not tell Nance's supervisors that he was survey party chief making about $54,000 a year. A surveyor trying to teach Nance the job, reported Nance was lazy and would not work if it was too hot or too cold. The employee said he often remained in the work truck talking on a cell phone.
The auditor reported that could be payroll fraud.
All in all, the Legislative Auditor outlined nine different possible violations of state law most of it involving thousands of dollars in overtime pay to Nance without documentation.
The auditor's report stated that Nance was paid about $3,000 on the South Third Street sidewalk project for "watching the concrete dry."
Morrison had originally hired Monroe attorney Johnny Carl Parkerson to represent her, but has since changed to Charles Kincade.
