Reports

The OIG investigated allegations that Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) Facilities employees Simon Nunez, David Parrish, and Leland Martinez and San Felipe School employees Ruby Montoya and Nancy Nunez made personal purchases on their assigned Government charge cards. Parrish and Martinez admitted to purchasing personal items, including sheds, tankless water heaters, computers, and tools, with their Government purchase charge cards between August 2013 and December 2016. Simon Nunez, a BIE Facilities Manager, directed the purchases and kept some of the stolen property.

BIE Employees Misused Government Charge Cards

On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which provided the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) with $756 million to support the needs of DOI programs, bureaus, Indian Country, and the Insular Areas. As part of the $756 million, the Office of the Secretary received $157.4 million to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus across DOI operations, which includes wildland fire management.

We audited the costs claimed by the by the State of West Virginia, Division of Natural Resources (Division), under grants awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. The audit included claims totaling approximately $46.2 million on 29 grants that were open during the State fiscal years that ended June 30, 2017, and June 30, 2018.

We audited costs claimed by the Alabama Department of Conservation, Marine Resources Division (Department), under grants awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR). The audit period included claims totaling $5.1 million on 23 grants that were open during the State fiscal years that ended September 30, 2017, and September 30, 2018.