Updated 10:50 a.m.
Dozens of former city of Sacramento workers’ old badges or ID numbers were used to obtain free fuel, according to new audits released this month.
City Auditor Jorge Oseguera says the audit — funded by the utilities department — uncovered the potential fraud, which occurred over several years.
"We identified over 60 former employees whose accounts were used over the course of several years to obtain fuel," he said.
The city says it does not know whether current or former city employees, or other residents, stole the gas. More than 10,000 gallons were pumped into non-city vehicles, according to the audit.
Oseguera says one of the issues that stood out during his office’s review was that the city did not strongly regulate fueling stations. He is recommending that security cameras be installed at city gas islands to identify who is using the badges or identification numbers.
The audit also found the utilities department failed to ensure employees had proper certification, or insurance, to operate city vehicles.
The department also has $4.5 million worth of cars and trucks that aren’t being used often. One-third of the vehicles that traveled less than 6,000 miles per year were heavy-duty, but two-thirds were light duty.
The audit also found it would be cheaper for the city to pay some employees a vehicle allowance instead of letting them take vehicles home, in particular workers that live outside the city limits.
Correction: This story previously reported that former city workers used “gas cards” to fuel up vehicles at city-owned stations. The story has been updated to reflect that the city does not know who used staff IDs and badges to refuel.
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today