Administration January 3, 2005

Indiana Pension Officials Pursue Temp Company Over Losses

March 25, 2003 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Indiana state pension officials have demanded that a temp agency make up more than $23,000 after accusing a temp refunds analyst placed at state pension offices of theft.
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Public Employees’ Retirement Fund (PERF) officials believe that Today’s Staffing in Indianapolis should cover the losses because the worker had a police record that included misdemeanor convictions for marijuana possession and criminal conversion, along with arrests on check deception and drug dealing charges, the Associated Press reported.

Fund general counsel Edward Gohmann said in a letter to the temp company that   decision to place Shaunna Stone at the public agency was an outrage. “By providing to PERF a temporary worker that you either knew or should have known had the habit of committing criminal acts, you have directly caused the fund to suffer damages,” Gohmann wrote.

Stone, who worked at the agency for eight months, faces federal charges that she stole the identities of two public employees and bilked three others out of nearly $11,000. Since those charges were filed, state and federal investigators say they have found evidence that she stole more than $23,000 and stole the identities of at least 70 public employees. Stone has pleaded innocent to those charges.

Today’s Staffing spokesman Logan Sossman said the company checked the employment history of its workers, but only conducted criminal checks if requested by the client.

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