U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Agreement with the Crow Tribe on the Methamphetamine Initiative Program

Report Number
2017-FIN-039

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) requested that we audit costs claimed on the Crow Tribe’s Methamphetamine Initiative Program, under Agreement No. A12AV01171. We could not perform the audit because the Tribe did not provide the necessary documentation for its claim, such as contractor invoices, vendor invoices, payroll documentation, and internal journal entries.

Audit
Bureau of Indian Affairs

United States

Offshore Platform Operator Did Not Inspect Platforms As Required

Report Number
15-0608

The OIG investigated allegations that Prime 8, LLC, a company that conducted oil and gas operations and inspections in the Gulf of Mexico, violated departmental regulations and created records to support fictitious inspections of offshore platforms regulated by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). We found the company did not perform platform visits and inspections as required, and documents prepared by the company’s owner concealed that the mandatory platform visits had not occurred.

Investigation
Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

, TX, United States

Bureau of Land Management Maintenance Fee Waivers for Small Miners

Report Number
2018-CR-010

We completed an inspection of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) small miner (those with 10 or fewer claims) mining claims. We focused on whether the BLM monitors these claims to ensure that they are legitimate, that maintenance fees are paid, and, if these fees are waived, that the required assessment work is conducted and complies with all applicable laws and regulations. We found that the BLM does ensure that small miner claims are legitimate and that maintenance fees are paid.

Inspection / Evaluation
Bureau of Land Management

Alleged Preferential Treatment in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Boundary Decision

Report Number
18-0608

We investigated whether the boundaries of Utah’s Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) were modified, at least in part, for the personal financial benefit of former Utah State Representative Michael Noel, who owned property along the GSENM border and who is currently the executive director of the Kane County (UT) Water Conservancy District. Our investigation focused on: 1. Whether the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) followed an established process for assessing proposed boundaries for national monuments, including the proposed GSENM boundary modifications 2.

Investigation
Other

BIA Firefighters Convicted for Intentionally Setting Wildland Fires on the Cherokee Reservation

Report Number
15-0177

The OIG investigated an allegation that Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Administratively Determined (AD) firefighters intentionally set wildland fires for profit on the Cherokee Reservation in Cherokee, NC. We found that firefighters Raymond Swayney, Grady Davis, Zachary Winchester, and three others caused or participated in several wildland arsons for profit between fiscal years 2010 and 2014, impacting hundreds of acres in Cherokee and costing the Federal Government thousands of dollars. Swayney, Davis, and Winchester pleaded guilty in U.S.

Investigation
Bureau of Indian Affairs

Cherokee, NC, United States

NPS Contractor Offered Illegal Gratuity to Park Employee

Report Number
18-0921

The OIG investigated an allegation that a National Park Service (NPS) contractor in the U.S. Virgin Islands attempted to provide a cash bribe to an NPS employee.

Investigation
National Park Service

, VI, United States

Alleged Reprisal and Hostile Work Environment at BOEM Gulf of Mexico Region

Report Number
17-0148

The OIG investigated allegations that senior management within the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Gulf of Mexico Region reprised against an employee for disclosures she made to BOEM officials. The employee also filed similar complaints under Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) provisions. During our investigation, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of Civil Rights issued a finding that the employee was discriminated against and subjected to reprisal and a hostile work environment by a former BOEM supervisor.

Investigation
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

United States

Wrongful Suspension of an IBC Employee’s Security Clearance

Report Number
18-0284

The OIG investigated allegations that an Interior Business Center (IBC) official reprised against a subordinate employee by suspending the employee’s security clearance after the employee filed an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint against the official. We determined that the employee made a protected disclosure, that the official knew about the disclosure before suspending the clearance, and that the official did not provide clear and convincing evidence that the clearance would have been suspended regardless of the disclosure. We also determined that the IBC official consulte

Investigation
Interior Business Center

United States

BIA Manager Created the Appearance of Using His Public Office for Private Gain

Report Number
18-0696

The OIG investigated allegations that a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) manager had used his position for the private gain of a friend, overruled decisions made by an employee’s supervisor regarding the employee’s leave and telework requests, and improperly influenced the award of a contract because of a personal relationship. We found that the BIA manager created the appearance of using public office for the private gain of a friend when he participated on the interview panel that recommended the friend, who was also his former fiancé, for a position within the BIA.

Investigation
Bureau of Indian Affairs

United States

Tribal School Employees Failed To Repay Payroll Advances

Report Number
17-0220

The OIG investigated allegations that two former employees of a tribally controlled school funded by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) did not repay payroll advances. We found that one employee failed to repay the school for more than $77,000 in payroll advances and the other failed to repay the school for more than $16,000 in payroll advances. Both employees admitted to owing the funds and that they made no attempt to repay the money when they were no longer employed by the school. We referred this matter to the U.S.

Investigation
Bureau of Indian Affairs

, NM, United States

Subscribe to