Parking system employee stole $400K from city

Parking system employee stole $400K from city
Garett Fisbeck
Parking garage building that will house Clarity Coffee in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2015.

This story was updated May 19 at 4:10 p.m.

A Republic Parking System (RPS) employee stole more than $400,000 from Oklahoma City’s transportation department.

RPS operates the five parking garages managed by Oklahoma City’s Central Oklahoma Transportation & Parking Authority (COTPA).

Oklahoma Gazette obtained an audit from the city that showed a RPS employee failed to deposit $419,648 over the past three years to COTPA. The audit stated that daily revenue reports and bank statements were compared to revenue reported by RPS in its monthly operating reports showing missing revenue deposits. Missing revenue deposits by year were: $80,571 in 2012; $55,303 in 2013 and $283,774 in 2014.

Brian Kern, vice president with RPS, declined to comment.

A police report was filed by Joe McKibbon of RPS on Dec. 5, 2014, claiming $180,000 had been embezzled from August 2013 to December 2014. City staff said the rest of the missing amount has since been reported to police.

No arrest has been made in the case and an Oklahoma City Police Department official said the case is still under investigation.

The city audit made several recommendations to COTPA, including “segregate duties involving custody of cash from responsibilities for reconciling or recording revenue.” Michael Scroggins with COTPA said those recommendations were "implemented immediately."

Scroggins also said the city renewed its contract with RPS last year, prior to the date of the police report. The contract is for three years with the option of two one year renewals.

"Staff plans to recommend to exercise the first one year renewal at the upcoming July board meeting," Scroggins said.

COTPA Director Jason Ferbrache said the city was working with Republic to be reimbursed and that new procedures would be implemented to avoid a similar situation in the future.

“Republic Parking and COTPA have taken this matter very seriously and are implementing rigorous controls and processes as outlined by the City Auditor," Ferbrache said.

  • or