Copier Crime - From Cleveland

Invoices do not match deliveries.

It started with three "missing" copiers, but records released by the Cleveland schools indicate the district paid for six machines in 2007 and 2008.

Invoices obtained show the district paid $160,200 to buy the six Ryobi offset duplicators from Toledo-based Superior Offset Supplies. The district paid $24,750 apiece for the machines and gave the company $11,700 for consulting on "copier-duplication requirements." The company charged a $150 hourly consulting fee.

"If they say they bought six, six are missing," he said. "Every school property has been physically checked. There's nothing."

The purchaser for the Cleveland Schools, his name listed on the invoices, is Dan Burns. Mr. Burns was placed on paid leave from the $184,000-a-year job, in December, after state auditors questioned the purchase of six machines investigators say apparently never arrived. Mr. Burns' assistant, Shenee McCoy-Gibbons, was put on leave at the same time.

Burns ultimately resigned from his job in January, 2009.

The invoices show that the district bought two machines at a time, in December 2007 and last April and May. Each bill totaled $49,500, which was just under the $50,000 limit for no-bid purchases.

As with most State/Local/Education organizations, bids are required when consulting fees exceed $10,000 - yet services for these devices were billed in two installments, one for $5,800 and another for $5,900. The invoices do not state when the consulting was done.

But it gets better...

Additionally, before Burns went to the Cleveland Schools he spent 30 years working with the Toledo School district - where he started as an offset duplicator operator and technician.

Burns left the Toledo Schools at the end of FY2006.

Total billing from Superior Offset Supplies from FY2001 through FY2006 amounts to $952K.

Most of this is in FY’s 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 with billings of $116K, $254K, $189K and $262K, respectively

State auditors are investigating the Cleveland case with the help of Cuyahoga County sheriff's detectives. Detectives seized two laptop computers, software and files from Cleveland school district headquarters Dec. 10.
The auditors also are reviewing purchases made in Toledo under Burns' supervision.





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