Good jorb, DHS. Could you go ahead and make this mistake on my next paycheck? Great, thanks.
Update: Correction - this occured within Finance, not DHS. Transpose a vendor number here and there, voila! What is meant for HCMC goes to some random social worker.
Social worker accused of huge spending spree with state money mistakenly sent to her.
Here’s the article for those not registered at the site:
By Rochelle Olson, Star Tribune
A Hopkins School District social worker erroneously given $2.5 million by the state faces four felony counts after she allegedly spent the money with her boyfriend on luxury automobiles, a U.S. Treasury bond and an individual retirement account.
Sabrina Walker, 37, appeared in Hennepin County Court on Wednesday, but did not enter a plea. District Judge Janet Poston set her bail at $200,000. Although the vast majority of the assets are frozen and Walker has no criminal convictions, Poston said she is concerned about a $100,000 cashiers check given to a former boyfriend as well as at least $20,000 in cash that is unaccounted for.
“This is obviously an unusual situation,” Poston said.
Walker faces four felony counts: Theft by swindle, loss of property, failure to pay over state funds and concealing criminal proceeds over $5,000. Her boyfriend Charles Lockhart faces the same charges.
Both were initially arrested Friday without warrants but released when a judge failed to find probable cause, according to court testimony. Walker was arrested again Tuesday, but Lockhart is at large, Assistant County Attorney Emery Adoradio said.
On March 29, the state Department of Human Services erroneously issued a check to Walker for $2,596,315 through the state’s accounting system, according to the complaint. Walker had a state vendor number because she was paid $84 in October as a witness for testimony in Hennepin County District Court. The bigger check cleared the state treasury on April 4.
Two days earlier, Walker and Lockhart opened a joint portfolio account at Wells Fargo Bank at 80 S. 6th St. The account provided for checking privileges with the $100,000 opening deposit and a linked brokerage account of $2.4 million. Walker and Lockhart each also withdrew $10,000 in cash, according to the complaint.
Slightly more than a week later, Walker bought a certificate of deposit for $500,000 and IRAs for the tax years 2006 and 2007 for $8,000. More than a week after that, Walker and Lockhart met with a bank financial consultant and bought a U.S. Treasury bond worth $500,000, the complaint said.
The two, who share an address in a home owned by Walker in the Camden Neighborhood of Minneapolis, also made various purchases with the money, including $5,500 in jewelry and $3,817 at Best Buy. They spent $2,069 in limousine services on April 18 and 27.
In April, Walker also bought a 1969 Buick Electra for $5,400 and a 2006 Chrysler Crossfire for $34,861. Both are titled to Walker, the complaint said. In May, Walker bought two more vehicles: a 2003 Land Rover Range Rover for $38,967 and a 2009 Land Rover LR2 for $39,971, the complaint said.
She also withdrew $100,000 in the form of a cashier’s check to the former boyfriend and $20,000 in cash on May 17, the complaint said.
DHS learned of the check when Walker called a financial operations employee on May 17 and asked why she was sent the check. The employee called Walker back and told her she received the check in error and should return it immediately. Walker refused and told the employee her lawyer would be calling the state. She then hung up, the complaint said.
Lockhart’s next court appearance June 12.
Larsen had argued against bail for Walker, saying his client has worked as a social worker for several years, owns a home and is rooted in the community.
She is represented by two Lindquist and Venum lawyers: Terry Fleming on the civil issues and Mark Larsen on criminal matters.
The two noted that their client did not oppose an asset freeze issued by another judge more than a week ago. “This should be a civil matter. We were cooperating with the attorney general’s office,” Fleming said.
Larsen added, “It’s disappointing when you’re cooperating to see an arrest.”
His client was subdued and unusually polite in court. She is working on a master’s degree. “This is a smart, articulate, intelligent individual,” he said.
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