A former employee of the University of Maryland University College improperly used a corporate credit card to purchase $8,800 in electronic equipment and had it shipped to her home, according to a state legislative audit released last week.
The audit says that in August and September 2005, the employee used the card to buy laptops, music players, cameras and other items. Upon discovering those transactions, auditors found four other purchases worth $2,800 that could not be accounted for on campus.
In 17 months at the university, the employee, whose job included purchasing equipment, charged $523,900 to the corporate card. It's unclear if she made other improper purchases, and the university has referred the matter to the attorney general's office.
"As far as we know, it's only the $8,800 that's a problem," said UMUC spokesman Chip Cassano. "But that's what is being investigated."
A spokeswoman for the attorney general would neither confirm nor deny that an investigation has begun.
The state's chief auditor, Bruce Myers, said supervisors can combat credit card misuse by restricting access to cards and scrutinizing purchases regularly. "If people know you're not looking, they're going to push the limits," he said.
University officials told auditors the purchases had not been discovered previously because the employee's supervisor had not reviewed and approved them as required by university policy. The employee who made the purchases resigned in October 2005, and her supervisor resigned eight months later.
Auditors recommended that the university - based in Adelphi but serving part-time students through an online curriculum - tighten its review process for credit card purchases.
