Stealing is stealing, but not all stealing is equal. In Indianapolis, only public officials and employees engaged in small-time theft will be prosecuted. That's what three Department of Public Works employees learned the hard way. David Herre, Terry Lee and Edward Lawson, all mechanics at the DPW's Belmont location, pleaded guilty to stealing brake drums, brake rotors, fire apparatus pumps and copper wire to sell as scrap metal.
Marion Co. Prosecutor Terry Curry, who is unable to see the larger elephants in the room, commented on today's guilty pleas. "Employee theft causes significant loss for businesses, and in cases such as this, taxpayer funded agencies," Curry said. "I encourage anyone to report employee theft to a police agency and hold the individual responsible."
All hope isn't lost for these three city workers. The three men will be suspended from DPW for just one year and be able to return to their jobs if they complete the required 80 hours of community service and pay restitution to the city. The amount of restitution is $395.80 for Herre, $628.68 for Lee and $240.00 for Lawson. That will put a real dent in the hundreds of millions of dollars Mayor Ballard has pilfered the past seven plus years for the benefit of his political cronies.
4 comments:
So why do they get to keep their jobs????
This is a start. DPW has been literally stealing from the taxpayers for years. Family and friends being hired. Political patronage at its worst.
Those thieves should not only be convicted of their crimes, but should be banned from all future city employment!
These are the lowest form of crooks!
It's such a shame because people like this give the scarp metal industry a really bad name, as there are some great waste management and waste recycling companies out there.
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