City employee resigns during fraud, misuse of resources investigation
A former City of Austin employee was accused of fraud in November following an investigation by the city auditor.
Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A former City of Austin employee was accused of fraud in November following an investigation by the city auditor.
The Office of the City Auditor conducts investigations of allegations of fraud, waste or abuse by city employees or contractors.
According to the investigative report, Efrain Perez, a former forensic services manager at the Forensic Science Department, was accused of misusing his city credit card to buy gift cards and gun accessories for his personal use.
The report said Perez’s purchases totaled more than $3,000.
The report accused Perez of committing fraud, saying he submitted falsified receipts and created inaccurate records to hide personal purchases.
The city said that during the investigation, Perez resigned. He was employed with the city until May 2023.
KXAN reached out to the city and requested a statement about the report.
“The City is not in a position to comment on an ongoing criminal matter,” the city said.
As of Wednesday, Perez was not listed in the Travis County jail, and he did not have an attorney listed.
Read the full investigative report below.