By Tylen Daniels
Published: May. 3, 2023 at 2:34 PM CDT
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Former Gibson County Recovery Court coordinator, Monica Bridges, has been indicted after being investigated for improperly paid hours not worked.
Bridges served as the full-time coordinator of the Gibson County Recovery Court from Oct. 2019 until her resignation in Sep. 2022. The investigation began after citizens reported questionable time-reporting practices and other concerns about the court’s operations.
Investigators for the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office determined that Bridges received over $25,000 in improper wages and payroll benefits. This includes over $20,000 in unearned compensation for over a 1,000 hours she did not work. Bridges was also found guilty of over $1,500 in prorated matching benefits and payments for Medicare and Social Security costs incurred by the county and over $2,500 in supplemental pay that she did not earn.
Bridges was able to hide that she was not working her full-time hours by using the former general sessions judge’s signature stamp on her timesheets to make it seem as if he had reviewed and approved them.
Investigators also questioned Bridges on the purchase of 155 gift cards that were $25 each, by the recovery court. The gift cards were intended to motivate participants and reward them for graduation from the program. However, due to a lack of documentation, investigators could not determine that all the gift cards were used for their intended purpose. Bridges admitted to investigators that she was overpaid for not working full-time hours, and that she used gift cards to make personal purchases, but claimed it was not intentional.
The investigation also notes the Recovery Court’s former clinical treatment director improperly referred participants to a business she personally owned in order to receive outpatient treatment. Participants told investigators that they were led to believe that the treatment director’s business was their only option.
In May 2023, Monica Bridges was charged with theft of property over of $10,000, official misconduct, forgery of over $10,000, and criminal simulation of over $10,000.
“The management of the Recovery Court must ensure it provides adequate oversight over its payroll operations, gift card use, and conflict of interest practices,” said Jason Mumpower, the Comptroller of the Treasury of Tennessee.
“Additionally, signature stamps should always be kept in a secure location, and there must be clear policies about their use to reduce the risk of unauthorized activity.”
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