7News has learned there’s an investigation into the misuse of taxpayer dollars in Miami-Dade County. It involves jail employees being paid for overtime hours they did not actually work. 7’s Heather Walker investigates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keon Hardemon: “Corrections Department has a lot of issues with cost. They have a lot of issues.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That was Commissioner Keon Hardemon calling out the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department in October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His criticism of the eighth largest jail system in the country continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keon Hardemon: “I’ve been on the floor and seen Corrections officers asleep. I know what it means to support law enforcement. But I also know what it means when people hide behind the badge. And so I’ve seen behavior in the department that is unbecoming.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now 7Investigates has learned of more disturbing behavior. Miami-Dade Corrections has paid millions of dollars in overtime to Corrections officers and staff who never earned it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We obtained these documents listing 587 employees’ names — some appearing more than once — along with the amount of money they were overpaid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources say for the last few years, these employees put in for overtime and were paid for hours they never actually worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The dollar amounts vary, from a $63 overpayment to a Corrections technician all the way up to more than $31,000 to a Corrections corporal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commissioner Hardemon alluded to the issue during the October commission meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keon Hardemon: “I think the Corrections Department knows that they have an issue with time — what many would describe as theft of time that goes to the tens of millions of dollars. And that’s our biggest cost — when you start talking about overtime and Corrections.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The documents 7News obtained show a total of more than $4 million in overpayments — with $2.8 million already recouped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Records reveal the department is allowing employees to pay back what they owe through deductions in their paychecks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we asked Corrections about the overpayments, the department sent 7Investigates a statement saying they’re “aware of this matter and a full internal affairs investigation is underway,” adding “the department is committed to full transparency, accountability” and “any misconduct will face appropriate disciplinary action.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Exactly how these county employees will be disciplined, and what is being done to prevent this from happening again, remains to be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because for taxpayers, fake hours add up to real costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heather Walker, 7News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:<\/strong>
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"