AZG&F in the news-1

[elkaholic]

By Dennis WagnerThe Republic | azcentral.comMon May 27, 2013 10:50 PM

 

 

A former law-enforcement boss at the Arizona Game and Fish Department embezzled thousands of dollars from an undercover account set up to catch wildlife poachers and should be charged with felony theft, a state police investigation concludes.

The Department of Public Safety report alleges that John G. Romero, who resigned while under investigation in early February, set up a covert bank account using his old undercover name and siphoned public money for three years before it was detected.

Investigative findings, including a request for prosecution, were submitted to Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne more than two months ago. No charges have been filed to date, and a spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s Office said she could not comment.

Romero, who could not be reached, told investigators he did not use funds for personal expenses, according to the report. But he admitted a failure to maintain records or to get payments approved, the report says.

Gary Hovatter, special assistant to the Game and Fish director, said the 22-year officer retired with full benefits.

Hovatter said a claim may be filed for recovery of the cash. He also said the matter was referred to the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board, which regulates law-enforcement officers and is empowered to withdraw certification.

According to the DPS report, Game and Fish officials requested an independent probe in October after an audit of the Operation Game Thief program, designed to catch wildlife poachers. Records showed cash withdrawals by an unknown person named Greg D. Gomez. Romero had been given that pseudonym, with a matching driver’s license and Social Security card, years earlier when he worked undercover in the department’s Special Operations Unit.

Game and Fish officials told DPS investigators that the fake identity was canceled in 2000 and that Romero had not worked undercover since 2004. They said Romero never received permission to resurrect the identity or create a covert bank account and never filed expense reports concerning the payouts.

The DPS report says at least $13,600 went into the “Gomez” account, which was linked to Romero’s home address. Nearly all that money was withdrawn.

DPS investigators concluded that Romero improperly authorized his own expenses and was not challenged because the employee who issued checks “knows not to ask any questions” about undercover operations.

State police said that most of the withdrawals by Romero took place on days when he did not work and when his personal bank account was low or empty.

The report says Romero failed to provide documentation of how the funds were used and stammered when asked to explain, as illustrated by a transcribed excerpt: “You know, I spend it on, uh, you know, mostly it’s for the uh, you know, the payment of, of, of services. Uh, use it for the, uh, the, you know, I help out other regions with, uh, with payments of, of, uh, just informant money or projects or, you know, just different things of that nature.”

Romero told investigators he kept his activity reports at home but was “not the best bookkeeper. … It seems like I’m playing fast and loose with this,” he added, “and sometimes I do.”

Romero, whose salary was $65,362, wrote the Game and Fish Department’s policy manuals for investigations and special operations. He was a nationally recognized expert on illegal trafficking of reptiles and served as a training officer.

Department records obtained via a public-records request show that Romero had been promoted through the ranks to a top enforcement job despite repeated disciplinary memos for failure to maintain and submit official records.

Hovatter said Game and Fish administrators have taken steps to prevent future violations of financial-accountability rules at the agency.

Reach the reporter at dennis.wagner@arizonarepublic.com.

 

 

 

[JLW]

UHHH, well I uh, see cause what had happened was, I uh....

let the lashings begin!

Tom Horne is a joke! He's a crook and a half! Prolly too busy drinkin and driving while sleepin with his intern!

 

James

[trophyhnter]

Smells fishy! Wonder why charges havent been filed?

[richardoutwest]

Oh but thats not all. AZCentral has more;

 

Controversies dog Game and Fish Department

 

 

By Dennis WagnerThe Republic | azcentralMon May 27, 2013 10:36 PM

The alleged embezzlement of public funds by Arizona Game and Fish Department Officer John Romero is among several controversies to plague the agency in recent years:

In 2009, Game and Fish employees were intimately involved in the trapping and subsequent death of Macho B, Arizona’s only wild jaguar. The depth of the department’s involvement and its attempts to cover its tracks only became more widely known over the last 18 months.

Last month, Game and Fish Commission Chairman Jack Husted resigned amid allegations that he sexually harassed female employees in the agency. His resignation statement said he was sorry that some people misinterpreted a “personal style of communication” that included hugging and joking.

It was not Husted’s first taste of controversy. He previously was criticized for encouraging a juvenile hunter to shoot and kill a prairie dog out of season.

Nonetheless, remaining Game and Fish commissioners honored Husted two weeks ago after their meeting in Kingman, giving him a lifetime hunting license.

John “J.W.” Harris, the new chairman, said the lifetime hunting license was a personal gift bought by commissioners and presented at a private party.

Harris said the harassment allegations never resulted in a formal complaint or investigation, and there was no reason for further inquiry because, “It’s over and done with. He’s resigned and is moving on with his life.”

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Crane McClennen awarded Pinetop-area game Warden Shawn Wagner $100,000 in damages, plus attorney fees and back pay, in December after he was suspended in connection with an elk hunt. The judge ruled the department trampled Wagner’s rights and retaliated against him for pointing out “mismanagement and abuse of authority, and potentially a gross waste of monies.”

While off-duty in September 2010, court records show, Wagner went bow-hunting with several other current or former wildlife officers and a local judge. Minutes before sunset, Wagner shot and wounded a bull elk, but the animal ran off, leaving a blood trail that hunters could not follow after dark.

Considering the wound to be fatal, they agreed to return at dawn to find it. Wagner was scheduled for surgery the next day, so he left his game tag behind for placement on the carcass. But the elk was still standing when located by his companions the next morning, so one of Wagner’s companions finished it off.

According to court records, “All the persons there agreed Wagner had inflicted the mortal wound and thus they considered it to be Wagner’s elk, so they decided to put Wagner’s tag on it.”

Three Game and Fish law-enforcement supervisors agreed that his tag was used appropriately. But Romero, then head of Operation Game Thief, concluded there were two potential violations regarding the tagging of the kill with a game tag issued to someone who was not present. Game and Fish administrators, concerned about possible headlines, did preliminary interviews to determine if a full investigation was warranted.

Wagner balked, arguing that informal questions violated his rights under state law and department policies. He requested intervention from Game and Fish Department Director Larry Voyles.

Voyles asked the state Department of Juvenile Corrections to assign an independent investigator. Wagner was interrogated and given a two-day suspension. He appealed to Voyles, who rescinded the suspension but ordered a new probe by the Arizona Department of Corrections. It resulted in reinstatement of the suspension.

After exhausting his appeals, Wagner sued Game and Fish for retaliation and won a $100,000 judgment now under challenge.

In 2007, Michael Malik Sr., a multimillionaire Michigan developer and casino entrepreneur, paid $135,000 at auction for a year-round permit to hunt elk anywhere in Arizona. Bidding for the so-called “Governor’s Tag” is conducted as an annual Game and Fish fundraiser.

Malik reportedly paid thousands of dollars to a Lakeside man who directed him to a trophy elk in a private meadow just outside of town. Shortly after jetting to Arizona, Malik wounded the large bull, which ran to a nearby housing tract and fell to its knees.

Members of the hunting party told Wagner, who was patrolling the area, that they had permission to shoot near the homes. Wagner authorized Malik to put the elk out of its misery, according to Malik’s attorney, Bruce Griffen.

Griffen said two shots were required. The rifle reports attracted local residents who loved the elk and were horrified at the spectacle.

“Women and children were screaming and yelling,” Griffen noted. “The whole thing was horrible.”

Wagner confiscated the elk and issued two citations to Malik for shooting unlawfully within a quarter-mile of an occupied residence. At trial in Pinetop-Lakeside Justice Court, Malik was acquitted on one charge but found guilty on another.

Griffen said the conviction was overturned on appeal, but reinstated by a higher court.

Malik was sentenced to community service and ordered to write an apology letter to the resident on whose land the elk died. The Game and Fish Commission fined Malik nearly $15,000 and banned him from hunting in Arizona and 32 other states for five years.

The elk’s head with velveteen antlers, valued at $27,000, now greets visitors at Game and Fish headquarters.

 

www.azcentral.com/.../20130527controversies-dog-game-fish-department. html

 

Arizona wildlife chief quit under fire

 

By Dennis WagnerThe Republic | azcentralMon

Former Arizona Game and Fish Commission Chairman Jack Husted’s abrupt resignation last week came as agency administrators were reviewing multiple sexual-harassment allegations against him by state employees, according to records obtained by The Arizona Republic.

 

Female Game and Fish Department workers reported to a human-resources supervisor that Husted gave them surprise hugs and made inappropriate suggestions.

Several alleged that he had “a relationship” and was living with one staffer, says a memo authored by Diana Shaffer, human-resources branch chief.

One employee described the alleged overtures as “creepy.”

In a statement Friday, Husted said, “I am just a man from rural Arizona where a handshake and a hug and the trading of a joke are part of normal human contact. ... If my personal style of communication offended anyone, I apologize for any misunderstanding.”

Husted, a Springerville businessman, also said his April 11 resignation letter to Gov. Jan Brewer speaks for itself.

In it, he made no mention of the controversy. Instead, he wrote that he was quitting “to embark on a new chapter in my life, as a private citizen, with time to focus on my family, my faith and my professional endeavors.”

But Game and Fish Department officials confirm that Husted had been apprised of allegations against him days earlier and was cautioned at that point by agency Director Larry Voyles against untoward conduct with female employees.

Gary Hovatter, special assistant to Voyles, said no formal harassment complaints were lodged against Husted.

Rather, Shaffer went on a fact-finding mission because rumors proliferated at agency headquarters. Her memo was presented on March 20 to Voyles, who shared the findings with Gov. Jan Brewer’s staff within days.

About the same time, Hovatter said, Voyles told Husted that rumors of harassment were being assessed. Hovatter said Husted was not provided a copy of the memo or given specifics concerning the contents.

Hovatter stressed that Voyles works for the commission under contract and has no authority over Husted, so Voyles did not urge the chairman to resign because to do so would have been inappropriate. Instead, Voyles met with members of Brewer’s staff on April 3. Days later, Husted resigned.

Brewer’s spokesman, Matthew Benson, said the governor did not ask Husted to leave but accepted his resignation and is comfortable with the inquiry and outcome. “This was handled with great speed and handled appropriately by Game and Fish,” he added.

The report by Shaffer describes incidents dating to 2011 and alleges that Husted persisted in advances even after being asked to stop. It also says employees declined to file formal complaints because “they are afraid they will be fired.”

“A female employee alleges that Husted came up from behind her with an ice cube and proceeded to wipe the ice cube around the perimeter of her ears,” Shaffer wrote in one segment.

Hovatter said no Game and Fish personnel benefited, got disciplined or suffered retaliation as a result of interactions with Husted.

Because Husted is no longer a commissioner and the perceived threat to employees is gone, Hovatter said, no further investigation is planned. He added that workers who accused Husted remain fearful of being identified publicly, so further inquiry might “seem like victimizing them again.”

The Game and Fish Commission sets Arizona policies for wildlife harvesting and conservation. Commissioners are appointed by the governor to five-year terms.

Husted was in his final year. A biography that recently was removed from the Game and Fish website said he is married and serves as a deacon at his church in Springerville. It describes him as a former deputy sheriff in Pima County, past Town Council member in Eagar and a lifelong hunter with strong ties to ranching.

Husted also serves as one of about 10 reserve game wardens — volunteer law-enforcement officers utilized by the Game and Fish Department. Hovatter said he has not left that position.

As a commissioner, Husted drew the ire of environmentalists for his opposition to protection for Mexican gray wolves and his hostility toward the Endangered Species Act.

Last year, Husted gained notoriety when he directed a juvenile hunter to shoot a prairie dog unlawfully.

He self-reported the incident, saying he did not realize the season had expired even though he adopted the regulation as a commissioner and enforced it as a warden. Husted complained when he received a citation, which eventually was dismissed by prosecutors.

 

www.azcentral.com/.../20130417arizona-wildlife-chief-quit-under-fire.html

 

Uh, well uh, you know, uh, well its all in a days work, uh. Looks like the heat is on, just betting that there is even more to come!

[richardoutwest]

Sorry elkaholic, did not see that you had posted it in another post AZG&F in the news 2

[AZLance]

This department is more corrupt than the IRS or the Obama administration!

 

Guys, just be careful when you criticize the AZ G&F ... Or the G&F region supervisor will call your work and try to get you fired, for "posting negative comments" on CouesWhitetail.com forums. This really happened!

[bonecollector]

This department is more corrupt than the IRS or the Obama administration!

 

Guys, just be careful when you criticize the AZ G&F ... Or the G&F region supervisor will call your work and try to get you fired, for "posting negative comments" on CouesWhitetail.com forums. This really happened!

 

No wonder the girls were afraid to make any formal complaints about the sexual harrassment.

[reganranch]

This department is more corrupt than the IRS or the Obama administration!

 

Guys, just be careful when you criticize the AZ G&F ... Or the G&F region supervisor will call your work and try to get you fired, for "posting negative comments" on CouesWhitetail.com forums. This really happened!

No wonder the girls were afraid to make any formal complaints about the sexual harrassment.

 

[Flatlander]

I read this to day and was happy it is all finally coming to light. Time to clean house.

[Snapshot]

Most Federal and State agencies are out of control. The Obama administration has set an example in "Corruption" and the things they can get away with.

 

Time to clean out the riff raff and kick em all to the curb.

[MRL1984]

Haha y'all are funny. None of these stories are gripping "selling" stories to the general public. So of course you aren't going to see it make a big news splash. $13k is chump change for a theft to the mainstream. To me its a lot but it won't sell the paper. Make it millions then it will hit the paper.

 

The situation with the sexual harassment won't sell either there is no accuser coming forward no court to follow. Its dead in the water to the media. They looked into a second hand report whoa...

 

I can't think of a poaching story on the news, let alone a buddy hunt.

 

I get it y'all are upset with G&F for a number of reasons. AZPOST being involved with Romero will get results you won't hear about, DPS will do a good investigation. Like most other crimes though the attorneys will settle on a plea or decide they can't charge it. Happens everyday with people who are total slime and do worse than $13k in cash.

[bonecollector777]

Rifleman, let's hear an apology now? Nothing in the Media? hahaha I love it. . Great to see this info getting spread around to everyone and that Dennis took the time to write this up. Keep 'em coming!

[bonecollector777]

And thank you Richardoutwest for posting it here for us to see. Glad to see some results.

[THE RIFLEMAN]

Rifleman, let's hear an apology now? Nothing in the Media? hahaha I love it. . Great to see this info getting spread around to everyone and that Dennis took the time to write this up. Keep 'em coming!

This is not even remotely related to Shawn Wagners elk hunt and your feeble attempts to resurrect an old case settled in court! That you said you would have "IN THE NEWS" Are you really that illiterate .... NO THERE IS NOTHING IN THE MEDIA ABOUT "YOUR" WINY A$$ IMMATURE MENTAL WANDERINGS! And there never will be you idjiot!!

[bonecollector777]

Rifleman, let's hear an apology now? Nothing in the Media? hahaha I love it. . Great to see this info getting spread around to everyone and that Dennis took the time to write this up. Keep 'em coming!

This is not even remotely related to Shawn Wagners elk hunt and your feeble attempts to resurrect an old case settled in court! That you said you would have "IN THE NEWS" Are you really that illiterate .... NO THERE IS NOTHING IN THE MEDIA ABOUT "YOUR" WINY A$$ IMMATURE MENTAL WANDERINGS! And there never will be you idjiot!!

Haha not related to Shawn Wagner's elk hunt? Did you not read the story? It specifically mentions Shawn Wagner's elk hunt and azcentral has a link to the court papers. I'm not sure what being illiterate would have to do with anything were talking about here? Do you know what that word means? Someone that can't read or write. Don't try and use words outside your vocab Rifleman. You don't make sense. There should have been a question mark after that question anyway haha So actually there IS a lot of info in the media about the things we have brought up. Keep ignoring them and acting like the AZGFD isn't corrupt. The case regarding Shawn poaching an elk was never even taken to court as I have explained countless times and therefore we are not trying to resurrect it but simply see that Shawn, along with all the other officers involved are punished like they should be. You need to actually read the things posted here before coming on and sounding like an idiot. By the way it's whiny a$$, immature, mental wanderings. You idiot*. Don't ever start a sentence with the word and. We learned that in 1st grade. Whew. . that was a lot of mistakes to correct. You might wanna learn how to write before calling people illiterate.