Friday, February 10, 2012

“I’m Not Condonin’ What They Did … What about Fo’giveness?” In the “District of Thieves,” School Bus Drivers and Attendants Helped Themselves to

Unemployment Benefits While on the Clock
By Nicholas Stix

The process in DC is as follows. 1) Say you didn’t do it 2) Agree to pay back the money that you didn’t steal 3) never pay back the money that you didn’t steal.

WJLA reader 2 Tell The Truth

[Thanks to reader-researcher RC for this story.]
 


 

D.C. unemployment fraud: Nearly half of accused were school bus drivers, attendants
February 9, 2012 6:43 p.m.
WJLA

Nearly half of the cases in the unemployment fraud scandal in the District came from one group of seasonal employees.

Nearly 90 people were placed on leave and face firing and prosecution for their part in the scheme. They're being investigated for taking fraudulent unemployment benefits while working for the city.

About 60 more cashed unemployment checks while employed by the District.
Forty-two school bus drivers and attendants were rounded up this week, shipped downtown and given letters of proposed termination for unemployment fraud.

Nearly $800,000 in unemployment benefits have been paid to working city employees since 2009.

The amount of money received fraudulently ranges from a few hundred dollars to more than $20,000.

D.C. officials made clear in a news conference they are focused on punishment for 90 current employees who got thousands in unemployment benefits while working for the city.

Some drivers and attendants say before that news broke some of their colleagues had already started paying back the money.

School bus union president Andrew Washington said the union can help some perhaps, but not others.

"Because if they knew it they're going to have to suffer the consequences,” he said. “I mean that's just the bottom line with it. I mean fraud is fraud."

"I'm going to be meeting with everybody next week," Washington said.

The U.S. Attorney is looking at the cases, saying some may be criminally prosecuted for claiming unemployment for up to a year, when they were actually employed as drivers or attendants.

Short URL: http://wj.la/w1XmLD

19
Treeman59
Feb 09, 2012 - 07:21:54 PM

It must be something in the water in the district of thieves!From the city council to the bus drivers double dipping ain't nothin but a thing!I guess if you call it something other then STEALING like(embezzlement/fraud)it don't count!I guess criminal behavior is just a second way of making a living in the district of thieves!I'm not surprised they sanctioned that dope smokin Mayor for life and treated him like a celeb even though he's a convicted felon!Who isn't a convicted felon in D.C. there's the anomaly!

Good point (5)


Smiley
Feb 09, 2012 - 07:47:35 PM

You know it's amazing although I was not one of the people. Times are hard and nobody knows the struggle that people go through. And that was nice of the union president to say hey they did it they did it now it's time to pay. I guess he would say that. They stole from unemployment he gettin his other ways.

Good point (1)

2 Tell The Truth
Feb 10, 2012 - 08:28:00 AM

It’s a culture of stealing until you get caught. The process in DC is as follows. 1) Say you didn’t do it 2) Agree to pay back the money that you didn’t steal 3) never pay back the money that you didn’t steal. These people would steal from their grandmother’s. And if they are fired they will be replaced with a new crew of thieves. Who knows one of them may be the next Mayor or council member.

Good point (1)

John61
Feb 09, 2012 - 09:54:48 PM

Find me someone working for DC that isn't a Crook, Please. I have to have hope that the Nations Capital City isn't completely corrupt.

Good point (3)

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