PD continues investigation into theft of welfare funds

March 4, 2013

The Bishop Police Department is continuing its investigation into an alleged embezzlement of funds from the Inyo County HHS Public Assistance Program. The PD has not been able to release new information about the case since January. Photo by Marilyn Blake Philip

Detectives with the Bishop Police Department continue looking into the alleged embezzlement of an undisclosed amount of money from the welfare division of Inyo County Health and Human Services.
Bishop Police Chief Chris Carter said Monday that no arrests have been made in the case, and no new information is available.
The last update from the PD regarding its investigation into the theft came in late January, when the PD issued a search warrant for the home of Bishop resident Dondee Rossy, 46, an Inyo County HHS manager who was named as “a person of interest” in the case.
Rossy has not been charged with any crimes.
Inyo County Counsel Randy Keller said in January that nobody in the county’s HHS Public Assistance program who is suspected of being involved in the alleged embezzlement has access anymore to public funds. He and other county staff refused to disclose if any county employees have been put on leave or been fired in connection with the investigation.
“The county has ensured that there isn’t anybody that has access to the (HHS Public Assistance Program) that isn’t under control,” Keller said in January. “But I’m not going to start invading the privacy of someone who has just been accused” of, and not formally charged with, any criminal activity.
The investigation into missing funds from the Public Assistance Program was opened Jan. 18 when one or more employees HHS office reported “irregularities” involving welfare funds, HHS Director Jean Turner said last month.
During his last update, Carter said it was unknown how much money had gone missing from the Public Assistance Program’s $100,000 budget.
Though no new details on the case are available, the Bishop Police Department said Monday that it continues to actively investigate the case and will update the community as details become available.
Turner said that HHS will continue to operate its Public Assistance Program without interruption.