County Public Works property theft Criminal Investigation goes to OSP
Wednesday, February 10, 2016 at 11:51AM 
By David Jaques
Roseburg, Or- According to a press release by Michael Kurtz, Human Resources Director for Douglas County, the investigation into missing equipment in the Operations and Maintenance Division of Public Works has now been handed over to the Oregon State Police.
Beacon sources have revealed that the investigation of fraud or theft first came to light when a member of the public came in to the county to report a purchase they had made from a county employee, which they thought was ‘too good to be true’ and became suspicious. This report has not been confirmed by investigators who are releasing very few details due to the nature of the ongoing investigation. County Commissioner Chris Boice said he was not aware of that information.
What Boice would say is that “the county became aware of some inventory missing from the Public Works Department” last week, and that triggered an internal investigation by the HR department. Due to “inconsistencies” discovered in this preliminary investigation, Boice said Kurtz turned the investigation over to the Douglas County Sheriff’s office. Sheriff John Hanlin was not available for comment.
As of Monday February 8, the investigation was forwarded to the Oregon State Police, where Sgt. Andy Kenyon, of the Major Crimes Section is leading the investigation.
In addition to the criminal investigation now being conducted by OSP, according to HR director Michael Kurtz, the county is continuing their own internal investigation. They have retained the services of RGL Forensics to conduct a thorough internal audit.
Although there is currently no information available as to the extent of the losses due to unaccounted for inventory, Kurtz said the “county takes property loss very seriously and therefore we are conducting a thorough and detailed investigation.”
Commissioner Boice said that while the scope of losses or dollar amounts involved are not yet known, this has been going on for some time, “at least a couple years”.
As to the progress of the independent forensic audit, the paper side of the audit was completed on Tuesday February 9, and the physical side is expected to be completed on Wednesday February 10.
In the meantime, in accordance with county policy there are fifteen individuals, of the approximately fifty employees in the Operations and Management Division, who are on paid administrative leave. Though no names have been released, Kurtz said the fact they are on leave is not an indication of guilt or innocence. It is not known until law enforcement completes their investigation, which or how many employees may face charges. The charges may go before a Grand Jury. The Douglas County D.A.’s office did not respond to information requests.
From the County Website:
Douglas County Public Works Operations and Maintenance Division is responsible for operating and maintaining the County road system, the County landfill, and 11 solid waste transfer stations. Specific responsibilities include road and bridge maintenance, roadway signing and striping, roadside vegetation control, solid waste operations, recycling, and the Adopt-A-Highway program.