Virginia's EMS money scandal includes a golf cart, luxury UTV and a $10K robot
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
Virginia's Office of Emergency Medical Services and Richmond's finance department seem to be battling it out for who's better at mismanaging people's money.
The big picture: The Times-Dispatch broke down the findings of a yearlong investigation into the Office of EMS, which collects money from vehicle registration fees and whose former associate director pleaded guilty to embezzling over $4 million in state funds this summer.
- The office is part of the Virginia Department of Health and is responsible for distributing money to the state's first responders and purchasing equipment like ambulances.
Yes, but: The investigation suggested the office took advantage of VDH being busy with the pandemic the past four years to make unnecessary purchases and commit such rampant fraud that they failed to make $33 million in required payments.
- And it led to the office at one point diverting money away from hospitals, rescue squads and fire departments.
Zoom in: Some of the most out-of-control buys were tied to the office's annual weeklong conference for in-person EMS training.
Among them:
🚙 $51,000 for two vehicles to shuttle first responders from their hotels to the conference.
- One was basically an oversized six-passenger electric golf cart.
- The other was a luxury UTV often used for off-roading and deer hunting.
🎙️ Almost $10,000 for a digital display podium, which can be found for a lot less online.
🤖 Nearly $10,000 for a video conferencing robot.
🍹 Over $9,200 on alcohol in 2022. $6,000 of that was via hotel charges.
The intrigue: The investigators had several recommendations, many of which would require legislative approval, but one of the most extreme was dissolving the entire Office of EMS.
What's next: Per RTD, VDH is in the process of hiring a new director who oversees all expenses, staffers check fund balances daily and nonprofit councils — which the office contracts with — won't be allowed to make purchases for them anymore.
- Buying things through the nonprofit councils was how the office used to dodge state procurement rules.
Go deeper via RTD