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Felons On The City Payroll
Aired Oct. 26, 2000

7News Investigates has found city workers who have plead guilty to drug charges, theft, forgery, robbery and other serious felonies. Yet some are now working in positions where they have access to some of our most personal information. And, and in some cases, even cash.

The question is: How can this happen? Do city officials know there are admitted felons on the payroll?

Charlie's bar is a club on East Colfax in Denver. Police records show that in March 2000, the manager found two men in a bathroom stall and one of them had a vial of cocaine. The manager held the customer and the drugs until police arrived.

The man, named Kerry, was charged with possession of cocaine and pled guilty to felony drug possession. He recieved a two-year deferred judgement and a $1,880 fine.

But what is more disturbing is that Kerry works at the Denver Department of Human Services. His job? He is a case worker in child and family services in the youth division.

That would be a person who would be working with children and families and, if the child has a drug abuse or any tupe of substance abuse, work with them in terms of to come up with corrective action or provide the services the child would need.

"I can't make any comment," Kerry told 7News Investigates. "You have to talk to my supervisor."

Do his bosses know about his guilty plea? "Yes, they do," Kerry said. "Patsy Belton does know. You can talk to her."

Patsy belton never returned 7News Investigates' calls. But human services chief Dr. Chris Veasey was clearly disturbed by our finding.

"If his supervisor knows about it and his supervisor is allowing this to happen, we will take appropriate action against both the individual and the person's supervisor," Veasey said. "That won't be tolerated."

Meet Yolanda Neal. In 1998, she was charged with defrauding the Colorado Department and Labor and Employment by stealing more than $2,300 in unemployement compensation.

She pleaded guilty to felony, theft and forgery, Was forced to pay more than $4,000 in restitution and fines, and was given a two-year deferred sentence and two years probation.

So having admitted being dishonest with public money, what is she handling now? Money.

"I just handle incoming payments, and i hand out petty cash and hand out tokens," Neal told 7News Investigates.

That's right, she works at Denver's Human Services as an accounting clerk, handling public money. Does her boss know about her crime?

"My current supervisor? No she doesn't," Neal said, adding that her past supervisor probably didn't know, either.

"It sounds like we have been negligent, expecially if we allow a person who has been convicted of embezzlement or forgery to work handling money or handling petty cash," said Dr. Veasey.

7News Investigates' investigation shows that these are just two examples of dozens of city workers who have pleaded guilty to or have been convicted of felonies. In some cases, they are positions with access to your personal records, your tax money, and even children at risk.

Right now, there is no city policy in place to identify them. So if we can find this information, why hasn't the city found it?

"That's a good point. That's an excellent point," said Dr. Veasey. "I am not going to makes excuses, but I can make promises... I sound like a politician now, but it won't continue. That's a promise."



Copyright 2001 by TheDenverChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

  
 
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