Court officers who got parking discount by paying at juror rate must pay up
The Massachusetts trial court system will pay $36,000 to reimburse the city of Springfield for a parking scam by employees.
It primarily involved court officers at the Hampden County Hall of Justice who gave themselves discounts by validating chips for nearby city parking at a courthouse machine as if they were jurors, MassLive.com reports.
Those found responsible are being required to make restitution, and some job repercussions have resulted. However, executive director Mary McNally of the Springfield Parking Authority said investigators could track only purchases made with debit and credit cards. Hence, the actual amount at issue is probably well above $36,000.
McNally told MassLive.com that questions arose when some nearby lots closed, yet an expected group of new monthly customers at the lot by the courthouse never materialized.
“That’s what made me say, where are all these people?” she said.
McNally herself launched the probe, visiting the trial court to ask questions, which prompted one worker to self-disclose, the article explains. A formal internal investigation by the trial court’s security director resulted.
MassLive.com says it’s not clear how many employees have been designated to pay the trial court for the self-awarded parking discounts.
