A newly published investigative report has now made public a corruption scandal involving a Gainesville employee who apparently spent the City’s money to get a Brazilian Butt Lift, among other purchases. The employee reportedly stole more than $93,000, which was used for various unauthorized purchases.
Caught red-handed
According to local reports, the culprit was identified to be former city staff specialist named Natwaina Clark. The 33-year old parks, recreation, and cultural affairs (PRCA) Department employee is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from the city’s funds.
The investigation into the corruption case revealed that Clark charged her city-issued Credit Card 136 times that totaled to around $61,000. She then used her bosses’ credit card to charge an additional $31,000. Clark also charged around $900 worth of purchases on her co-worker’s credit cards.
After an internal audit uncovered the charges, Clark was officially fired and then arrested while she was on a cruise-ship vacation. Clark was then charged with larceny, grand theft, and scheme to defraud.
33-year-old Natwaina Sharee Clark was arrested Tuesday and charged with grand theft and scheming to defraud.https://t.co/KiUPzX2rLA
— Florida Times-Union (@jaxdotcom) March 30, 2017
Unauthorized charges
Most of the money that was stolen was found to have been transferred to Clark’s personal PayPal account.
The transactions were labeled as either “décor,” “storage bins,” or “holiday banners.” Clark transferred a total of $41,000 to her PayPal account, which was also linked to her personal bank account.
Among the many purchases that were traced, one of the biggest transactions was for an $8,500 Brazilian butt lift. The invasive cosmetic surgery involves that transplantation of body fat into the patient’s buttocks.
Other transactions involve bill payments, various grocery purchases, and even a purchase of a “large” television set.
Explaining her lifestyle
A lot of Clark’s fellow employees were shocked by her sudden lifestyle change, which was clearly way beyond what her $33,500 salary could afford. However, Clark was apparently able to convince her co-workers that she had a new rich boyfriend who was giving her all of her expensive stuff.
Clark even bought herself a big bouquet, which she sent to her office. She then told her friends that the gift was from her new boyfriend. It was later found out that the bouquet was indeed purchased using her city-issued credit card.
Clark was described by her co-workers as an intelligent and hardworking employee. She apparently was eligible for a promotion had she not made the mistake of misusing her department’s funds. The city’s auditors also blamed the department’s heads for not keeping an eye on their expenditure and for allowing Clark unmonitored access to their credit cards.
