Victor not to be reimbursed for cash payments, will stay on job
The Fayette County Coroner’s Office chief field investigator will stay on the job but will not be reimbursed for money that he recently paid to others for their assistance.
Controller Sean Lally said Monday that Roger Victor, doing business as Fayette Removal Service, has agreed to comply with county accounting practices and provide receipts for any future out-of-pocket cash payments that he makes in connection with his business.
During a recent audit of the coroner’s office accounts, it was found that Victor was disbursing $50 cash payments to deputies without documenting the payments and turning in vouchers for repayment. The amount totaled about $1,200 over a two-month period this year.
The controller’s stance initially drew criticism from Victor as well as submission of a letter of resignation to county commissioners.
Victor has been a sub-contractor for the county for nearly three decades, providing services to the coroner’s office that include transportation of deceased people, videotaping of a death scene or property inventory, property recovery and photography services.
The agreement includes a payment of between $100 and $200 for transportation services, $65 per videotaping and $35 for photos taken at the scene and allotted $50 per call for death scene deputy assistance.
Lally said that without documentation, he could not and would not issue a check for reimbursement.
“If I paid him and was later audited, I would be in trouble,” said Lally. “An undocumented cash payment cannot be reimbursed by the county.”
According to the audit, the major expenses of the coroner’s office are for removal services, autopsies and drug screening. From Jan. 1, 2010, through Dec. 31, 2012, a total of $108,340 was paid to Fayette Removal Service for transporting of deceased people, $318,775 for autopsy services performed by Cyril H. Wecht Pathology Associates and $75,727 to three different laboratories for drug-screening services.
The cash payments made by Victor were for lift assistance at death scenes. During the audit period, Victor’s company was paid $8,800 for such expenses.
“The records requested from Fayette Removal Service to confirm the accuracy of billing were unavailable, as no such files have been maintained,” said the audit report. “This, along with the fact that the assistants were reportedly paid in cash, made it impossible to verify the accuracy of said Fayette Removal Service billing.”
The findings resulted in the delayed decision to reimburse Victor for the 2013 cash payments until receipts were turned over. Lally said that no receipts to document the payments were received by his office.
“I think we have a good resolution for this particular case,” said Lally. “I’ve asked that (Victor) purchase a receipt book, and each time a cash payment is made in connection with his services to the county a receipt is signed by the recipient, he will be paid.”
Victor could not be reached for comment Monday.
Audits, while time-consuming and not always welcomed by the 67 entities under the controller’s purview, do call to attention accounting deficiencies and, when rectified, can lead to operational improvements and cost-saving practices, said Lally.
The entities include tax collectors, magisterial district judges, county departments, row offices and other county agencies.
“It does make me an unpopular person, but the county is going to have a better financial outcome with these bi-annual audits,” he said.