Not every fraud scheme is simple or uses traditional methods such as taking physical monies or initiation bank transfers.
Such is the case of Rufus Chappell who was a former state of Michigan employee who worked for the Unemployment Insurance Agency and Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. In his role Chappell was expected to use company vehicles to attend unemployment insurance benefit appeal hearings. Instead, for years Chappell misused state vehicles for personal use over weekends, holidays, and outside business hours, resulting in mileage fees totaling $47,214.85 between August 2015 and January 2019. Chappell had access to and permission to use the state motor pool vehicles, explicitly for work purposes, the vehicles were instead used for personal reasons.
Schemes like this are hard to detect because the misappropriation is not a traditional “taking” of monies or properties but are alternatively a misuse of privileges. Upon learning Chappell’s driver’s license had been suspended, the Vehicle and Travel Services and the Department of Talent and Economic Development investigated his vehicle use and uncovered misuse. Chappell was subsequently found guilty.
Photo by Axel Sandoval
