It appears the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department will be investigating at least one, maybe two, individuals connected to the North Oakland Transportation Authority.
Following a special closed session meeting Jan. 3, the NOTA board voted 8-2 to request the sheriff investigate allegations made against Executive Director Pat Fitchena, who also serves as an Oxford Twp. trustee.
Allegations against Fitchena ranging from verbal/physical abuse of employees and inappropriate use of NOTA resources to wasteful spending and policy violations were detailed in a July 24, 2007 unsigned letter submitted by former NOTA Operations Manager Danny Poole, who resigned three days later.
In a Dec. 5 article in The Review, Fitchena denied all the allegations and offered explanations.
Behind closed doors, NOTA officials listened to Lake Orion attorney Rich Strenger’s legal opinion regarding the allegations and how the board should proceed.
When they returned to open session, Oxford Twp. Supervisor Bill Dunn, who serves on the NOTA board, made a motion to request the sheriff’s department ‘conduct a third-party investigation of the charges… and report back to this board.?
‘I’m not in favor of us investigating ourselves,? Dunn said.
NOTA board member Eric Wilson, who also serves on the Road Commission for Oakland County, opposed the idea.
‘To make an investigation of all this after we heard our attorney’s opinion, I think it’s a waste of (the) sheriff’s time,? he said.
Wilson said if Poole or any member of the public believes there are criminal issues involved here ‘let that person file (a complaint) and let them move forward.?
Dunn disagreed.
‘I hope just the truth comes out and whoever is innocent is protected,? he said. ‘And the only way we’re going to do that is (to) have a third party do that. That’s why I made that motion ? to protect everyone.?
Wilson and NOTA member John Garlicki, an Orion Twp. trustee, cast the lone dissenting votes.
Wilson then made a motion, which was approved 10-0 by the NOTA board, to have allegations of fraud against Poole investigated.
‘I would also like an investigation to be done (and) criminal charges to be considered against Danny Poole for his fraudulent activities on the issue of the money he had spent over at the Moto-Medic,? he told the board.
Wilson’s motion included direction for Fitchena ‘to take action on that.?
Moto-Medic is an auto repair shop in Lake Orion.
When Wilson was asked to explain his motion, he replied, ‘We have received information that NOTA monies were used improperly.?
‘Who’s going to do the investigation?? Dunn asked.
‘I’m not asking for an investigation,? Wilson replied. ‘I’m asking for a criminal complaint to be filed . . . If they don’t want to proceed, they don’t think it’s a case, they’ll decide.?
In a phone interview the next day, Wilson explained his motion was for Fitchena to ‘investigate it and to determine if there’s anything, if she should go to the sheriff’s department, if there’s a basis for it. That’s all.?
‘I have no idea if there’s a basis or not,? Wilson said. ‘I just heard that last night.?
Wilson said he wanted to make sure ‘all avenues were covered.?
‘If somebody has defrauded (NOTA) or something has happened, we want to know,? he noted.
Wilson said he doesn’t know the specifics of the alleged fraud. ‘I don’t know if it happened or not, I just want to make sure it gets checked out.?
Phone calls to Fitchena regarding allegations against Poole went unanswered.
Poole insisted he committed no fraud during a Jan. 8 telephone interview.
‘There’s never been a fraudulent thing done at that company by myself,? he said. ‘I never borrowed a pencil from there. Why would I steal from my own livelihood??
Poole explained the allegations of fraud Wilson alluded to at last week’s meeting stem from Moto-Medic bills for repairs done to a NOTA driver’s personal vehicle.
These personal repairs were never charged to NOTA or paid for using any NOTA funds, according to Poole.
‘Not a penny,? he said, noting an investigator from the sheriff’s department already talked to the owner of Moto-Medic about this ‘months ago? and nothing came of it.
It’s true the bill contained his name next to the driver’s name with NOTA printed underneath them, but Poole said Moto-Medic did this simply for record-keeping purposes.
Because this NOTA driver was a ‘close friend? and ‘single mom? with financial difficulties, Poole said he used his connections at Moto-Medic to get her vehicle repaired multiple times and allow her bill to be paid in installments every two weeks when she received her paycheck.
Poole noted that he had a good relationship with Moto-Medic prior to working at NOTA, which has also used the shop for regular service and repairs on its fleet of buses and vans.
‘I went there for a long, long time prior to ever working for NOTA,? he said.
In the end, the driver Poole helped paid off her personal debt to Moto-Medic in full by signing over the title to her vehicle.
Poole believes Wilson’s motion was about retaliation against him for his written allegations against Fitchena.
‘If Eric Wilson and Pat Fitchena want to twist things around and try to make me out to look like a bad guy because I was doing my job for writing my boss up, then, I’ll tell you what, they’re playing with fire,? Poole said.