EPA Veteran Who Bilked Agency of $900K by Claiming Work for CIA Gets Prison

The former high-ranking Environmental Protection Agency official who stole nearly $900,000 — by claiming he was doing work for the CIA away from the office and by faking his retirement while still drawing a paycheck — was sentenced Wednesday to 32 months in prison.

“I own this, this is on me, and this is my responsibility. … I’m ashamed of [my] greed,” John Beale, a former senior policy adviser and 24-year veteran at the EPA, said at his sentencing hearing in Washington.

Beale, 65, pleaded guilty in September, admitting that over the past decade he had collected $886,186 for work he never did. He was absent from his job at the EPA for a time amounting to two-and-a-half years, but he was paid for that time and received benefits.

While at the EPA, Beale repeatedly was a no-show at his office, telling colleagues he was working on a project elsewhere for the CIA, although he’d never worked for the CIA.

Similarly, in May 2011, he announced his “retirement” from the EPA and celebrated with a dinner cruise on the Potomac River, but he continued to draw a paycheck until at least November of last year.

Beale told federal judge Ellen Huvelle that through is “own failings and insecurities” he became an addict of sorts, constantly searching for “a sense of excitement or a rush with getting away with something.”

After serving 32 months in prison — likely at a facility near New York City — Beale will face two years of supervised release.

He has already paid back the $886,186, and will have to pay another $507,207 in the next 30 days.

The Blaze this morning is discussing how Obama’s new EPA Director new full well that this fraudster was a scam artist when he worked directly for her.

I am certain that Eric Holder will be investigating Mz McCarthy any minute now for her complicity in this fraud against taxpayers........(sarc)

John Beale’s EPA

An amazing fraud by an architect of government climate policies.

“From 2009 until 2013, the head of OAR was Gina McCarthy, who is currently the EPA Administrator. So not only was Beale within view of senior managers as he pulled off his astounding fraud, he was directly managed by the woman who now runs the place. And if there was any doubt about how influential John Beale was in formulating key EPA policies, it seems to have been put to rest by E&E Publishing’s Greenwire. Via a Freedom of Information Act request, the trade publication obtained a collection of agency emails related to Beale.

At 10:44 a.m. EST on December 3, 2010, Ms. McCarthy wrote to her staff at OAR and reported: “I am pleased to let you know that John Beale will be resuming his role as the Immediate Office’s lead for all of OAR’s international work.” She added: “Most of you know John well as he has been a very large presence in much of OAR’s work for over 20 years. In addition to lead roles in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, the early implementation of the Act, the development and negotiation of the National Low Emission Vehicle Program, and the 1997 [National Ambient Air Quality Standards] review, John served as OAR’s lead for international work from 1990 thru [sic] 2005. Beginning in 1999, John managed OAR’s work on climate change as well as all other international work.”

Ms. McCarthy further gushed that “I am very excited to finally get the opportunity to work closely with him. In addition to the international work John will continue to work on various special projects for me.”

There’s more. In an odd conclusion to that December 2010 staff bulletin, Ms. McCarthy wrote that Beale “is supposed to be sitting in [office] 5426B of Ariel Rios North, but good luck finding him. We are keeping him well hidden so he won’t get scooped away from OAR anytime soon.” Few CEOs in private business could keep their jobs after lauding and entrusting with key responsibilities the perpetrator of a fraud against the company.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303773704579266022892025230

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.