Former Office of Personnel Management employees plead guilty to stealing

The Office of Personnel Management has learned how important it is to adhere to internal controls in financial management. Two former OPM accounting technicians have pleaded guilty to stealing more than $27,500 from the Treasury, OPM said. The employees used their positions to divert electronic payments into personal accounts for their benefit between July 2006 and January, U.S Attorney Jeffrey Taylor said. OPM Director Linda Springer reaffirmed the agency's commitment and adherence to appropriate financial controls and processes in its daily operations following the announcement of the plea. 'As stewards of the public trust, we have a responsibility to ensure against fraud, and we have checks and balances in place to uphold sound fiscal accountability,' Springer said in a statement Aug. 17. When irregularities were first noticed, OPM officials immediately notified Patrick McFarland, the agency's inspector general. OPM cooperated fully with the investigation, which led to the guilty plea. The two felons will face up to 10 years of prison time when sentenced in November. Under the federal sentencing guidelines, they face a likely sentence of up to six months in jail, home confinement and/or a period of probation, Taylor said.