MUNCIE, Ind. − Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour said the matter involving two city employees that prompted a state police investigation has been dealt with internally and that the Indiana State Police has told the administration it plans no criminal charges in the case.
“The City of Muncie, after full cooperation with the Indiana State Police and the State Board of Accounts, has closed the investigation into two city employees,” Ridenour said in a press release last week.
However, the mayor said that investigators still have possession of the computers used by the two employees and will continue to review them.
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“After a thorough investigation, the Indiana State Police did not believe it was warranted to forward information to the prosecutor, although they will continue to review electronic devises and officially conclude the investigation in the next 90 days,” according to a press release from the city. “Indiana State Police recommended that while there was clear evidence of improper conduct, the City should follow personnel policy to handle the matter internally.”
The mayor did not say exactly what the improper conduct was but did say the investigation was prompted by invoices presented to the city for payment and the problem was quickly spotted and action taken.
Ridenour told the Star Press that the matter has been handled internally and employees involved were not fired but are back at work following suspensions.
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Last month the city issued a statement that said, “During routine payment processing within the City Controller’s office, inconsistencies within one department’s accounting were discovered. Following standard procedure, the City has reached out to State Police for further investigation. Two employees have been suspended with pay, pending the results of the investigation.”
The city declined to provide details during the police investigation and now says the issue is a personnel matter and, in adherence with policy, will not release information about internal personnel matters,
However, Ridenour did say the investigation was prompted by invoices presented to the city for payment and the problem was quickly spotted with action taken.
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Ridenour said the decision to call in the state police to investigate was done in light of corruption cases involving the previous administration of Dennis Tyler. Nine criminal cases came out of a federal probe of activities during Tyler’s administration. Tyler himself served five months in prison after pleading guilty to a charge of theft of government funds.
Ridenour said he wanted the matter investigated by an agency outside of city government, given the previous trouble.
He declined to name the city department involved in the investigation.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: No criminal charges planned for “improper conduct” by city employees
