Sequoyah County Commissioners voted Monday to reimburse $15,896.95 to the COPS Methamphetamine Initiative (Meth) Grant, which was a portion of the amount awarded to the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Department on Sept. 1, 2007.
On May 25 Sheriff Ron Lockhart was notified that a portion of the $79,298 grant had been used to pay the fulltime salary and benefit costs of civilian project coordinator John Bennett. At the time Johnny Philpot was the sheriff.
Bennett is a Republican candidate for state house of representatives district 2, a position that will be on the November general election ballot.
According to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the COPS Office Legal Division, Bennett, from August through December 2008, received “over and above his actual work hours.”
The investigation revealed that Bennett, while being paid as a full-time project manager for the former sheriff, was employed fulltime with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs working from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Payroll records requested for the investigation and provided by the sheriff’s department indicate Bennett was also paid unallowable costs.
The Meth Grant Owner’s Manual, according to the OIG report, specifically states under the allowable costs sections that, “Salary payments must be based on payroll records. Time and attendance records or the equivalent must support payroll records…If the person under the grant on a part-time or temporary basis, then the agency must specify the percentage of time that the person is working solely on the project….”
Documentation provided by the sheriff’s department at the request of OIG showed time and attendance records and other equivalent documentation demonstrating the actual number of hours worked by Bennett during the time in question.
Lockhart was notified that a Notice of Noncompliance would be issued to the department until the funds were reimbursed. The county commissioners approved the reimbursement at their regular meeting on Monday. With the commissioners approval to repay the funding Lockhart said he was reassured the department was once again in compliance with grant guidelines.
Bennett, who is no longer employed with the sheriff’s department, said Monday that he was not prepared to make a comment on the allegations until he checked into all the facts.
