Findings for Recovery of $26,979.13, Partially Repaid Under Audit, Issued Against Former LaGrange Township Employees
COLUMBUS — Findings for recovery of $26,979.13 were issued Thursday against two former LaGrange Township employees in Lorain County over improper compensation they received, Auditor of State Keith Faber announced.
Former Fire Chief James Rader repaid $23,023.72 of the total under the special audit, leaving $3,955.41 outstanding against Michael Foreman, a former fire medic and road foreman.
The findings were included in a special audit of LaGrange Township by the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU). The full report is available online at ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx.
SIU launched its investigation in June 2022 over allegations of improper compensation against Rader and Foreman.
SIU determined that Rader received overtime pay and duplicate compensation between January 2017 and December 2022 that were not allowed as part of his regular salary.
Due to a lack of payroll processing controls, Foreman received overpayments resulting from pay rate errors and missing supporting documentation, plus an improper vacation leave payout after his resignation.
Rader repaid the finding for recovery against him in June 2024. Foreman, along with two former fiscal officers and their bonding companies, are jointly and severally liable for the remainder.
SIU submitted the results of its investigation to the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office, which declined to pursue criminal charges.
Since 2019, the Special Investigations Unit has assisted in 130 convictions resulting in more than $10 million in restitution (see Map of SIU Convictions since January 2019). The team receives hundreds of tips of suspected fraud annually. Tips can be submitted anonymously online or via SIU’s fraud hotline at 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364).
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The Auditor of State’s Office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.
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Contact: Marc Kovac
press@ohioauditor.gov
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