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Baltimore City employees under investigation in copper theft scheme
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City Inspector General Hilton Green said the scheme was uncovered during a nine-month investigation of the employees who work for the city’s General Services division.
The wire was pulled from defunct air condition ducts in City Hall and the courthouse during the daytime, Green said. The pair then sold copper wire to area scrap yards, netting them $50,000 in profits, Green said.
“They were observed going into the building pulling out copper wire and taking it out of the yard for cash,” Green said.
Green declined to name the employees because the probe is ongoing.
“Right now we’re getting information that more buildings have been targeting and get reports of more theft,” he said. “We also don’t want to name names now because it’s starting to go up the ladder.”
Tools used by the employees to remove the wire — including handsaws owned by the city — also were confiscated at the scene, Green said.
The Baltimore city police department has joined the investigation Green said. The employees may also face criminal charges.
Sterling Clifford, spokesman for Mayor Sheila Dixon lauded Green’s efforts.
“They basically stole from every taxpayer in the city, and we expect these individuals to be punished.”
sjanis@baltimoreexaminer.com
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12:10 PM MST on Sat., Jul. 26, 2008 re: "Baltimore City employees under investigation in copper theft scheme"
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Examiner Reader said:
City Inspector General Hilton Green (What a laughable title!) says, "The employees may also face criminal charges." Excuse me? Yes, they should be charged with theft, and they should also be charged with malicious destruction of government taxpayers' property/money. These people who now run Baltimore City are brainless. We moved out of Baltimore City almost fifty years ago because we saw the handwriting on the wall. It used to be a wonderful city. Now it's nothing but a crock of you know what.
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Examiner Reader said:
If Hilton Green and his inspector generals office is investigating the case then those two men have nothing to worry about. The inspector generals office investigated obvious fraud involving the fire department promotional testing, after 6 months of investigating Hilton Green issued a report that proved there were improprieties by 6 individuals within the BCFD and the test was leaked to 5 of the 6 by someone within "human resorses". All 6 were disciplined. Then in an about face the report was changed. It now states no wrong doing on the part of anyone, including 1 person who admitted to cheating on the test. The public was told "my bad" turns out there was no cheating after all by the IG's . All 6, previously proven cheaters were promoted and a Battalion Chief who had prior access to the written test, to check it had appropriate material and was proven to have emailed those questions to his home computer, against regulations was let go scott free. Hilton Greens office is a joke
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Examiner Reader said:
Like the city Politicians don't steal from every ta payer everyday?? will the politicians be punished, tell me what's going on with that crook Dixon!!??
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The Undertaker said:
I'm shocked.
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