Allegations of Grant Fraud at Mojave National Preserve Not Substantiated

OIG investigated allegations that park rangers at the National Park Service’s Mojave National Preserve (MNP) submitted false hours and misappropriated funds related to a grant from the State of California to monitor off-highway vehicles. Under the agreement, MNP was required to provide a 25-percent match of funds through labor costs and hours worked. 

 

Our investigation found that MNP had no official record showing that it had met its 25-percent match because employees had not documented the matching hours. We could not, however, substantiate the allegation that MNP employees submitted fraudulent hours worked on the grants, and we determined that the State approved all purchases MNP made using grant funds.