RALEIGH — Carteret County officials are asking the county sheriff’s office to pursue a criminal investigation after an investigative audit found almost $60,000 in questionable purchases.
State Auditor Beth Wood says her office conducted an investigative audit into the Broad and Gales Creek EMS, which closed down in summer 2022, that showed $59,722 in purchases and checks for the 2021 calendar year lacked supporting business documentation.
The auditors reviewed 88 expenditures totaling $201,894 that were flagged as potential misuse. The breakdown of the expenditures in question included $15,867 in credit card charges, $1,842 in checks written by the former chief of the station and $184,185 in checks written to others.
The audit says Broad and Gales Creek EMS was unable to provide supporting documentation for 69 of the 88 purchases, including $11,676 in credit card charges, $1,842 in checks written by the former chief and $46,204 in checks written to others.
In addition to missing documentation, the audit notes that “Not all purchases were supported” because the Broad and Gales Creek EMS did not have policies in place to require proper documentation be maintained for purchases, checks and payments of various kinds.
“Additionally, neither the Broad and Gales Creek EMS Board, nor the County, ensured proper separation of duties existed to ensure checks were only written to pay for expenditures that supported appropriate business purposes,” the audit states.
