Audit examines alleged fraud by employee of Forensic Science Department

The former forensic services manager for the city’s Forensic Science Department allegedly misused his city credit card to purchase $3,000 worth of gift cards and firearm accessories for his personal use, according to a report issued by the Office of the City Auditor.

Staff of the Financial Services Department discovered Efrain Perez’s alleged misuse of his city credit card during a routine monthly examination and notified the city auditor’s office about the discrepancies they had found.

The Forensic Science Department plays an important role in criminal prosecutions by collecting and processing evidence at crime scenes and analyzing that evidence. They write reports about what they have found and testify on the results in court. Perez was responsible for making purchases for the division and approving other staff purchases.

The report states that Perez, who was the forensic services manager for the Austin Police Department and then for the independent Forensic Science Department, used his city credit card to buy 15 gift cards worth about $1,500 for his personal use. In addition, Perez allegedly purchased several firearms accessories worth about $1,550 for his own use. Auditors reported that those purchases occurred between September and November 2022. Some of those purchases were disguised as books and equipment.

In their report, auditors demonstrated how Perez attempted to conceal the fact that he was making the purchases for himself by claiming they were for the department. However, a supervisor in the department told members of the audit team that the department did not use any of the items Perez purchased. The same supervisor told auditors that APD would use such items, but Perez did not have purchasing responsibilities for APD. In the past, the Forensic Science Department was a part of APD, but it has been a standalone department since City Council voted to move it in 2021.

The audit shows how Perez changed the shipping address on an invoice for an item he allegedly purchased for himself from his home address to the city’s forensic office address. In one instance, auditors demonstrated that Perez purchased a $200 gift card but instead changed the receipt to show that it was for forensic equipment. Perez also used his personal email for some of the purchases, although he changed the email address to his work email address on the receipt that he gave to the department.

The city of Austin specifically forbids its employees from using their city-issued credit cards for gift card purchases.

Brian Molloy, chief of investigations for the auditor’s office, told the Austin Monitor that they started interviewing Perez about his fraudulent purchases and after a short while he claimed that he did not feel well enough to continue the interview. He took time off from work, continuing to claim illness, Molloy said. The department told Perez that he would have to complete the interview when he came back to work before doing anything else. Perez never came back to work and resigned from the city on May 23, 2023. Perez failed to respond to a written request for comment from auditors concerning his purchases.

“It is certainly disconcerting to learn that a former employee with the Forensic Science Department chose to violate a City of Austin policy for their own benefit,” said Dr. Dana Kadavy, director of the Forensic Science Department. “However, I applaud the work of both the Austin Police Department’s Financial Services team and the City of Austin Auditor’s Office in identifying the misuse. I am also reassured that we have the correct policies and procedures in place that led to the misuse being detected. The employee resigned from the Department in May of 2023. And, as per policy, both the Travis County District Attorney’s Office and the Texas Forensic Science Commission were made aware that this investigation was underway. This matter has now been referred to the Austin Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit to assess any possible criminal charges that may be relevant to this matter.”

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