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I-Team: HART Manager who investigates fraud settles case with state

Posted at 5:13 PM, Jun 08, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-07 11:34:33-04

Editor's Note: This version corrects the circumstances surrounding the reduction of charges.

 

An upper manager at HART has settled her fraud case with the state.

Our I-Team first broke the news that the manager in charge of investigating fraud was also arrested on a felony fraud charge herself.

I-Team: 2 Managers at HART face disciplinary action

Ebony Clemons, HART's manager of risk, is in charge of evaluating workers comp claims. She has access to employees' Social Security numbers, private medical  information and she investigates "fraud and criminal activity" within the company.

Following our I-Team investigation, Clemons has been put on paid leave after we discovered she was arrested for felony public assistance fraud.

According to court records, between 2013 and well into 2015, Clemons failed to report her employment while collecting $14,064 in "excessive food stamp benefits." In her food stamp applications she made no mention that she works for HART, where she makes more than $74,000 a year.

On the day of her trial she agreed to settle her case with the state.

She has to pay back all of the money she took, and has a year to do it.

By doing that, the state agreed to reduce her fraud charge from a felony to a misdemeanor.

In addition, if she pays back all of the money owed within a year, her charge gets dismissed entirely.

Dara Chenevert makes more than $115,000 a year as HART's interim chief business enterprise and safety officer.

She has been on paid leave after managers say she failed to report Clemons' arrest to HART's CEO.

HART officials tell us they're still reviewing her case and she remains on paid leave.

Chenevert remains on paid leave as well.

We'll let you know what happens in their cases.