Investigation of an FWS Employee for Employment Fraud

We investigated allegations that a U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS) motor vehicle operator at Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery in Celina, TN, intentionally omitted information about his retirement from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) on a form completed as part of the hiring process. The omission allegedly resulted in his being hired as a full-time employee instead of a reemployed annuitant (someone receiving a retirement annuity while also earning a paycheck as a Federal employee). It was also alleged that the employee owed the U.S. Government thousands of dollars because his salary was not offset by his annuity.

 

We found that the employee did in fact retire from USPS, 10 years before he was hired by FWS. We also found that he failed to disclose his USPS retirement information on hiring paperwork.

 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia declined prosecution in this case, and we provided this report to the FWS Director for any action deemed appropriate.