SALT LAKE CITY-Monday morning, news broke that federal authorities have leveled a complaint against the state of Utah and some of the Beehive State’s top public safety officials, alleging millions of dollars in grant fraud.
In a complaint quietly filed in U.S. District Court over the weekend, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Utah sued the state and some of its top officials.
They are:
-Ron Gordon, formerly the head of Utah’s Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (he is presently Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s counsel).
-Mike Haddon, the executive director of the Utah Department of Corrections
-Leo Lucey-the Utah Attorney General’s Chief of Investigations
-Kirk Torgensen, formerly the chief deputy of the Utah Attorney General’s Office
-Tom Patterson, the former Utah Department of Corrections executive director
-Robyn Williams and London Stromberg, former corrections deputy directors
-Colonel Mike Rapich, executive director of the Utah Department of Public Safety.
-Dan Maldonado, Division of Juvenile Justice Services director
-Dan Becker, former Utah State Courts administrator
-Rhett McQuiston, former Utah Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force agent
-Kim Allard, Utah Administrative Office of the Courts director of services
-Rich Townsend, Utah’s Peace Officer Standards and Training’s former director
In this complaint, federal prosecutors are alleging the state and defendants violated the U.S. False Claims Act as they bilked the government out of millions in grant money by not following these requirements.
The complaint asserts that defendants misused the money rather than supplementing funds from the state.
More particularly, they assert, defendants used federal money to pay salaries of existing state employees and then did not, when required, immediately fill the vacated positions.
This caused defendants supplanting funds instead of supplementing them. This resulted in contravention of the grant requirements and certifications defendants made to DOJ, per the complaint.
This federal complaint is part of a long-running feud between the state and the U.S. Department of Justice. The complaint also entails a prison inmate whistle-blower.
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes insists his office was cooperating. Per a February statement, he said his agency turned over documents, made witnesses available and was even negotiating a settlement when talks broke down.
Also in February, the prison inmate whistle-blower filed a lawsuit. Reginald Williams stated he first became aware of the grant fraud while working in the printing shop at the Utah State Prison.
He then went to the U.S. Department of Justice, who had indicated earlier this year that they would take over his litigation.
However, the federal government has since assumed that role.
In previous court filings, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has claimed as much as $50 million in damages.
However, the Utah Attorney’s General Office has said the amount in question is closer to $10 million.
