By BILL DIPAOLO
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Updated: 8:14 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011
Posted: 7:59 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011
Jacqueline Fehdi could be facing up to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine for stealing $2,900 from the Jupiter Inlet District this past summer.
The five-member elected commission voted unanimously on Sept. 30 to allow the 20-year veteran to resign. [ALMOST THE SAME AS NEW FAIRFIELD]
Executive Director Mike Grella said he found extra payments while going over monthly district bills. Fehdi, who served as an administrative assistant, then admitted using a district credit card to pay for personal items, and she repaid the money. [THE SAME AS NEW FAIRFIELD]
If she was fired, Fehdi would have lost the district's contributions to her retirement fund.
Fair? [NOT SURE IF SHE HAS A RETIREMENT BENEFIT ... SHOULD CHECK]
Yes, said Tom Boyhan, secretary/treasurer of the commission that uses its annual $1.3 million annual budget to dredge the Jupiter Inlet and parts of the Loxahatchee River.
"Fehdi had two decades of loyal service. She paid the money back. Losing her job was punishment enough," Boyhan said. [SO THAT IS JUSTIFICATION FOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY!]
No, said Leslie Paige, spokeswoman for Citizens Against Public Waste, a national nonprofit taxpayer watchdog organization.
When government catches a person stealing and does not prosecute, that sends a signal that such illegal behavior will be tolerated. [WELL, COMMON SENSE IN ACTION]
"This is why people throw up their hands and say government workers are all a bunch of crooks," Paige said.
Fehdi began a series of a dozen withdrawals totaling $54,326 from her retirement account in March 2009. She made her final withdrawal on Oct. 21, 2010, about six weeks after her Sept. 3 suspension from the district.
She withdrew $41,056 in contributions from the district and $13,270 of her own contributions, according to Dustin Heintz, investment and retirement services manager for the Florida League of Cities. The withdrawals from district contributions were approved by the district commission, Heintz said.
Boyhan said he does not recall approving Fehdi's withdrawals from her retirement account.
"It's probably true," said Boyhan when asked if he thought Fehdi withdrew the money because she feared she was about to be fired.
"She was very, very scared. She was having serious medical problems," Boyhan said.
District officials turned over information to the Palm Beach County State Attorney. The investigation is continuing, said Sarah Alsofrom, state attorney spokeswoman.
Fehdi did not return a phone call for comment.
Filing charges against Fehdi would be wasteful, said Doug Martin, spokesman for the 100,000-member Florida American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
"(Fehdi) lost her job. She paid the money back. I can't believe a jury would convict her over $2,900," Martin said.
