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.

Allegations of Misuse of Government Property by BIA Supervisors Mostly Unfounded

Report Information

Date Issued
Report Number
18-0007
Report Type
Investigation
Component
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Description
The OIG investigated allegations that three supervisors in a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) regional office were involved in a variety of incidents that included misusing and failing to properly account for the office’s specialized communications vehicles, misusing take-home Government-owned vehicles (GOVs), and improperly purchasing items with Government funds to give as gifts to local law enforcement agencies. We found no evidence that the office’s specialized communications vehicles had been misused, but the BIA did not consistently require operational plans for the vehicles’ use. We also found that after one of the three supervisors accidentally caused $10,500 in damage to one of the vehicles in 2016, his managers did not follow BIA property management policy, because they did not inquire about the accident. Our investigation identified one example of misuse of a take-home GOV, when one of the three supervisors acknowledged occasionally making personal stops in his GOV on his way home from work. U.S. Department of the Interior policy prohibits personal use of GOVs. Finally, we found no evidence that any of the supervisors used Government funds to purchase gifts to give to local law enforcement entities.
Joint Report
No
Agency Wide
No
Questioned Costs
$0
Funds for Better Use
$0