Reports

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.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) requested that we audit costs claimed on a contract dated November 7, 2016, associated with Government to Government Agreement No. A13AP00043 that the BIA issued to the Crow Tribe. We could not perform the audit because the contractor and the BIA could not provide the necessary documentation for its contract or claim.

FWS Sport Fish Restoration Grants Awarded to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources

We investigated approximately $10 million in unsupported payments that were made to the Indian Pueblos Federal Development Corporation (IPFDC) and its partners, pursuant to IPFDC’s contract to develop and construct the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Bureau of Indian Education buildings in Albuquerque, NM. Our investigation determined that former IPFDC President and Chief Executive Officer Bruce Sanchez and New Mexico real estate owner Thomas Keesing stole over $3.5 million from the IPFDC between 2004 and 2008, by falsifying invoices for services that Keesing claimed he provided as a c

The OIG investigated allegations that a contractor was improperly involved in a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) construction project and had a conflict of interest during multiple contract awards related to that project. We also investigated allegations that a BLM supervisor circumvented contracting rules to steer awards to the contractor. We confirmed the allegations against both the contractor and the BLM supervisor.