Watchdog: Former Baltimore Official Didn't Report Overpayments, Was Under-Qualified

A synopsis of the report distributed by the Office of the Inspector General. Download This File

A now-former Baltimore City official received double pay for 10 pay periods without reporting the error, the city inspector general's office said in a report.

Based on a tip, Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming found that the official within a departmental finance office was overpaid for nearly five months to the tune of $34,615.40. Furthermore, she found the official lacked the education of work experience to be qualified for his position in the first place. The person is not named in a synopsis of the investigation.

The investigation found that when the official was hired, he was entered into a human resources database as both a salaried and hourly employee. The official didn't tell his supervisor or payroll officials, but when the error was found, the official was told he'd have to pay the money back, which he agreed to do over 26 pay periods.

Asked to explain why he didn't tell anybody, the official said he overlooked the excess payments because his checking account automatically transferred any balance over $5,000 to several other accounts. Bank officials denied that such a feature existed and said transfers must be done manually.

In fact, the employee's first full paycheck, received on Oct. 27, 2017, was for a net $4,255, double the bi-weekly rate. He deposited the check that day using the bank's mobile deposit feature. Though city regulations ask employees to monitor their pay and report discrepancies, the official told the inspector general's office that his first few checks were correct and that after starting direct deposit, he never noticed the extra money.

Bank records also contradicted the official's claims about additional transfers to his mortgage account. The investigation also found the official lacked the background in accounting or finance the position demanded.

In a letter back to Cumming's office, Mayor Catherine Pugh said she concurred with the findings, and said that the employee "has been separated" from city government and that she has directed officials to recoup the overpaid salary.