A former employee for Michigan’s environmental agency allegedly embezzled over $850,000 between 2018 and 2020 from a state well permitting program, according to the state’s attorney general Wednesday.
Joseph Pettit, 49, is facing charges including three counts of embezzlement over $100,000, four counts of uttering and publishing, and one count of using a computer to commit a crime, according to a readout from the Michigan Department of the Attorney General.
Penalties for embezzlement and using a computer to commit a crime amount to 20 years in prison, and uttering and publishing is a 14-year felony.
Pettit was a 16-year employee for the Oil, Gas and Minerals Division within the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and is accused of establishing a fake vendor scheme that allowed him to divert some bond money into accounts, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel wrote in the release.
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Anyone drilling a well in Michigan is required to apply for a permit and post a bond that the owner eventually receives back when the well changes hands.
“This case is a reminder that my office treats it very seriously when anyone abuses the system for their own gain,” Nessel said.
“This case is a reminder that my office treats it very seriously when anyone abuses the system for their own gain.” @MIAttyGen @dananessel ⬇️https://t.co/C8WMgPKX9f pic.twitter.com/QDyydBUJGH
— Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (@MIAttyGen) April 14, 2021
Pettit left his job as a compliance and bonding specialist at the Oil, Gas and Minerals Division in 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile, which shows that his current job is as a quality assurance manager for the Department of Health and Human Services.
“Our discovery of potential crimes was immediately referred to law enforcement, and we continue to provide them everything they need to ensure justice is done on behalf of the State of Michigan,” said Liesl Clark, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy director. “We are also doing everything we can to prevent this from occurring again, including strengthening internal financial controls to provide even greater checks and balances against fraud.”
Pettit’s suspected losses from 2013 to 2016 are “barred by the statute of limitations,” the attorney general’s readout added.
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A lawyer for Pettit was not disclosed in Nessel’s statement. He is slated to appear in court Friday for arraignment.
