Worker stole $20,000 from city department

Building permits are a staple in the business community, and now one former code enforcement officer is accused of pocketing permit fees.

The 23-year-old is accused of stealing $20,000 from the code enforcement office. According to police reports, the man was the cashier, and for nearly a year, he distributed permits but and stole the fees instead. When the shortfall in funds was noticed, IMPD was called to investigate.

“Existing protocols led staff to discover this issue internally,” said Kate Johnson, spokesperson for the Department of Code Enforcement. “Since this investigation, DCE has implemented additional measures to help ensure that this type of situation does not occur in the future.”

The suspect no longer works in the department, and all permits issued will remain valid, despite payment not being put on the books.