EmployeeScreenIQ Blog

How many times have we heard this story?  No set up needed.  Do you think background checks should play a vital role in the hiring process?  Congratulations Anita Collins.  You’ve made our list of despicable human beings.  Stealing money that was to be used to educate children? Really?

Clerk Charged with Swiping $1 mil From NY Archdiocese- Bloomberg.com

An Archdiocese of New York clerk with a record of theft has been charged with manipulating the church’s accounts payable system to steal more than $1 million in education money.

Anita Collins was being held on $750,000 bond after an arraignment Monday on grand larceny and other charges. Her lawyer says he may seek lower bail later.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office says Collins wrote checks to one of her sons and deposited them in her accounts but recorded them as payments to legitimate vendors.

Prosecutors say Collins has two prior convictions on charges of stealing from employers.

The archdiocese says pre-employment background checks for all workers began shortly after Collins was hired in 2003. She was fired in December.

The New York Times first reported Collins’ arrest.

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I’ve got to hand it to Mr. Cooley.  He was right.  Mr. Cooley was my 6th grade teacher at Brady Middle School in Pepper Pike, Ohio.  And this guy was off the wall.  He sometimes intentionally, sometimes not gave us a lifetime of entertainment in one school year.

Over and over again, he told us that years from now (then), we would all remember the Mr. Cooley stock exchange. And now I know why I thought about this morning.

The stock exchange was an unbelievable lesson Mr. Cooley designed to teach us how the stock market worked.  He started by printing out fake money that was distributed to each student in equal amounts.  We could the npurchase shares of any stock we wanted as long as it was traded on the New York Stock Exchange.  Shares were purchased at the actual value reported in the Cleveland Plain Dealer that day.  And as long as you had the money, you could buy and sell as many different stocks as you liked.  Like with the real stock exchange the value of our portfolio fluctuated every day.

There was a “central bank” where money was exchanged for stock certificates and vice-versa.  And of course, each student got a chance to be the banker during the course of the lesson.

At the end of the lesson everyone had to sell their entire portfolio.  And that’s where the fun really started.  Students were asked to donate some items from their homes that weren’t being used anymore.  These items would be auctioned off to the highest bidder in class (with the money earned from the exchange). I think Mr. Cooley even got some local businesses to contribute to the cause.

If I remember correctly, stock in Chubb Insurance was exploding at the time.  Huge gains everyday and even a split at one point.  I’m not sure where the tip came from, but a few of us plowed into it.  Then, we all bought stock in our favorite companies (the ones we actually knew), like McDonald’s and Coca-Cola.

I promise I’m getting to the point.  When something was on the line and there was something tangible to be had, we all ran around like Wall Street moguls.  I wanted the donated TV so bad and I was determined to get it.

One day, my cousin Howard was the banker.  And a small group of us decided, that day, there would be a run on the bank. We exchanged shares with Howard, but he gave us quadruple the amount of their worth.  We’d give him a piece of the pie for his efforts.

In the end, I still didn’t have enough to buy the TV.  I’m not sure what I bought when all was said and done.  But I certainly learned a valuable lesson.

And that brings us to today.  We’ve been talking a lot about crimes of opportunity and we know that businesses lose billions of dollars to internal theft every year.  What we did when we were 12 years old reinforces the notion that access to a valuable asset can tempt anyone.  We had something to gain.  We had inside access.  And we had the opportunity with little oversight.

Most of us grow out of the immaturity we displayed back then, but some never do.  That is precisely two of the big three reasons (Violence, Loss, Dishonesty) businesses need to conduct background checks.

So, thank you Mr. Cooley.  You were right.  I definitely remember the stock exchange.

P.S. I’m not the only one who turned away from a life of crime. Howard is a legitimate business man who owns a high end pet hotel in Cleveland and LA.

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I just read a great, albeit long article in my current edition of Fortune Magazine about fraudster Barry Minkow.  This story has it all: from love, crime, betrayal, corporate greed, personal greed and rags to riches, to prison stripes!   A simple blog posting will not do this story  justice. Fortune did a great job, Kudos to the author, Roger Parloff.

Why am I writing about it and what does it have to do with background screening, employment checks, criminal searches, credit reports or anything to do with background checks? One sentence, captured me to read on and think about our industry and the current debate of criminal recidivism.  That sentence; “His story is hard to read without pondering the question; Is Character Destiny?”  Is it?  I don’t know, I don’t think it is overall.(Character being your destiny) I mean it’s a strong general statement and could unintentionally stereotype some ex-criminals.  Is Character Destiny? It really begs the question; if you have a previous record and you just have the type of character that says, “Let’s make a quick buck. Do it the easy way and break the law,” do you have any chance at redemption?  It plays into what many of us in the industry argue all the time; there are just some bad people out there, period.

I promise, I will get to the link.  One more thing that caught my eye and that definitely ties him to the employment screening industry was one of his past side businesses.  In 2008, Minkow created a business that would comb through databases looking for inflated educational credentials on the part of corporate officers.  Great idea, right?  Sounds like he could have been a pioneer in the screening industry, one of us, one of the good guys!!  Well, he took this a step further.  When he found a discrepancy he would short the stock, leak the story to a reporter and when the priced dipped, make a nice profit.  He exposed resume embellishments at more than a dozen companies, including MGM Mirage, Broadcom and EchoStar.   Yeah, not one of us, not one of the good guys….not so much!

Okay, as promised, Click here to read the full story!

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Illegal-alien airline security shocker

By LARRY CELONA and BILL SANDERSON

In a colossal failure of 9/11 security measures, an illegal immigrant used the stolen ID of a Bronx man with an arrest record to get hired as an airline flight attendant, and flew several trips as a trainee before he was busted yesterday, authorities said.

Besides getting a job at American Eagle, Jophan Porter, 38, used the stolen ID to obtain a US passport, a US Department of Transportation ID card and at least three Florida driver’s licenses, law-enforcement sources told The Post.

Porter was caught after ID-theft victim Anthony Frair of The Bronx was denied food stamps because government records matched him to the airline job.

A law-enforcement source confirmed that Frair, 40, has an arrest record. Public records show a man with his name and age was busted in Florida in 2008 on domestic-assault charges.

It’s unclear how long Porter used Frair’s identity, sources said. American Eagle hired him in March, and he worked from the airline’s Miami base, said company spokesman Tim Smith.

Smith and spokespersons for several federal agencies couldn’t explain how Porter cleared the security checks needed to become a flight attendant — or why the airline didn’t realize the ID he had stolen belonged to a criminal suspect.

Smith couldn’t say whether the airline even did a Google search, which would have uncovered Frair’s arrest in Florida.

Porter was born in Guyana, and records show he’s also a former Bronx resident.

He was arrested at Miami International Airport early yesterday just after he’d returned from a personal trip to London on an American Airlines flight, Smith said.

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I am about to make a claim that is rather embarrassing as a background screening professional.  My childhood hero was the famous outlaw, Billy the Kid.  I grew up on horseback, I competed in cowboy style competitions at a very young age and always had the famous Billy Joel song, “The Ballad of Billy the Kid” playing in my head!  I was excited (yet still embarrassed) today when I saw that New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is considering a posthumous pardon for this western legend!

According to Wikipedia:

Henry McCarty, better known as Billy the Kid, but also known by the aliases Henry Antrim and William H. Bonney (reportedly November 23, 1859 – July 14, 1881), was a 19th century American frontier outlaw and gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War. According to legend, he killed 21 men, but he is generally accepted to have killed four. Pat Garrett shot Billy the Kid down on July 14, 1881. Garrett tracked him after the outlaw escaped from the Lincoln County jail in a famous gunbattle that left two deputies dead.

Billy’s background check would look rather interesting with all the alias names he has gone by.  His criminal record is arguable at best and his death has been debated by historians for years.  According to a recent article:

The pardon dispute is the latest in a long-running fight over whether Garrett shot the real Kid or someone else and then lied about it. Some history buffs  claim Billy the Kid didn’t die in the shootout with Garrett and landed in Texas, where he went by “Brushy Bill” Roberts and died of a heart attack at age 90 in 1950.

If I can have it my way, I’ll stick with Billy Joel’s version:

Well one cold day a posse captured Billy
And the judge said “String him up for what he did.”
And the cowboys and their kin
Like the sea, came pouring in
To watch the hanging of Billy the kid.

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“Hi, I have access to Disney’s (DIS) quarterly earnings report before its release on 5/3/10.  I am willing to share this information for a fee that we can determine later.”

That was the email message sent to various Wall Street traders from the boyfriend of a Disney employee who was the assistant to the head of corporate communications.  Instead of pursuing the offer many of these traders reported the information to the SEC.  A sting was set up, the gruesome twosome were offered $20,000 for the information and bam! they were arrested.  According to the Wall Street Journal, the employee was in it for the shoes.

I am certain that Disney employs stringent employment screening requirements including a comprehensive criminal background check.  And it isn’t being reported that the employee had any prior records.  This story just underscores the need for employers to be vigilant in their screening efforts.

Disney Drama As Stock Plot Is Foiled- The Wall Street Journal

Federal authorities alleged Wednesday that a Walt Disney Co. executive assistant and her boyfriend engaged in a ham-handed plot to sell Wall Street traders inside information, first offered in a chirpy missive sent to dozens of investment companies.

“Hi, I have access to Disney’s (DIS) quarterly earnings report before its release on 05/03/10,” the March 5 letter began. “I am willing to share this information for a fee that we can determine later.”

The alleged plan went awry. Instead of taking the bait, “multiple hedge funds reported the illicit scheme,” the Securities and Exchange Commission said in a press release.

In a pair of complaints filed Wednesday, federal authorities said the letter and subsequent emails were sent by Yonni Sebbag, whose girlfriend Bonnie Hoxie was an assistant to Disney’s head of corporate communications.

Disney said in a statement Wednesday that it “has been fully cooperating with this investigation.” Ms. Hoxie was at work as recently as Tuesday, according to people at the company.

A federal judge ordered Mr. Sebbag held as a potential flight risk and released Ms. Hoxie on a $50,000 bond Wednesday. Neither responded to the charges in a bail hearing Wednesday.

The March 5 form letter was sent to 33 investment companies, according to a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan federal court charging the two with conspiracy and wire fraud. Undercover agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation began corresponding with Mr. Sebbag, who used the pseudonym “Jonathan Cyrus” in the email exchanges, according to the complaint.

As the earnings release approached, Mr. Sebbag, 29 years old, and Ms. Hoxie, 33, engaged in an awkward exchange of their own as they waited with growing frustration for the quarterly earnings data to materialize, according to transcripts in both complaints. The exchange at points took on the tone of any couple bickering over mundane issues like bill paying.

“Get things moving with all the powers you have,” Mr. Sebbag urged his girlfriend at one point.

“Thanks for the flattery,” Ms. Hoxie replied. “I wish you could come to work every day with me.”

On the day of the earnings release, Ms. Hoxie sent Mr. Sebbag an email stating “here is the bag that you are going to get for me,” the SEC said in a companion civil complaint filed in New York federal court. It said the email included a link to “a picture of an expensive Stella McCartney designer handbag available for $700 at Neiman Marcus.”

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One of my favorite new categories is our “Smooth Criminal” section of the EmployeeScreenIQ Blog.  This last week was a writers dream, so much content, so little time.

What would a background check on Tiger Woods and Brian Bonsall look like? Who is Brian Bonsall you say? More to come later.  Well, Tiger Woods would be pretty safe right now.  Fortunately for him, at this time, he has not really done anything illegal.  Ladies and Gentleman, it is not a crime to cheat on your wife!  (Even if its with 9 different females, at last count). What he does need to worry about are the hints at domestic violence the media keeps talking about.  Are any of these allegations true? Only time will tell!!

Next we have Ex-Child Actor, Brian Bonsall, former Family Ties alumni!  Brian played Andy Keaton on the 80′s sitcom.  According to the Associated Press:

BOULDER, Colo. – Police say a former cast member of the 1980s television show “Family Ties” has been arrested for investigation of assault in Colorado.

Police said Monday that 28-year-old Brian Bonsall got into a fight at an apartment on Saturday and hit a friend with part of a broken wooden stool.

Bonsall allegedly told officers he had been drinking and didn’t remember what happened.

Bonsall played Michael J. Fox‘s little brother Andy Keaton on the sitcom.

He is being held in the Boulder County Jail and was due in court Wednesday. Jail records didn’t indicate his lawyer’s name.

Authorities say Bonsall was sentenced to probation in 2007 for assaulting his girlfriend. He was later accused of probation violations.

The former child actor lives in Westminster, Colo., about 20 miles south of Boulder.

Mr. Bonsall has a lot to worry about.  Employers will certainly find out about his list of indiscretions.  Background checks on him will certainly show his list of arrests and convictions!

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We realized recently that we have been negligent in adding to our “Smooth Criminal” series.  One of the great things about being in the background screening business is that we get to see all kinds of crazy things.  The things we see everyday can’t be written about for obvious confidentiality reasons.  However, oftentimes the news does the work for us!  Its not hard these days to open your internet browser and come across one of these….smooth criminals!

Criminals Use Fake ‘Office’ I.D. to Steal Ricky Gervais’ Cash

Just when we think we’ve heard about the dumbest criminal on this planet, another story breaks and leaves our mouths agape. With this latest one, we almost don’t know where to start. Let’s preface it with this: If you’re going to scam a celebrity, you better bring your A-game.

Unfortunately, a group of UK-based, bungling criminals didn’t even bring their D-game. According to The Sun, British actor Ricky Gervais revealed for the first time that a group of unidentified crooks attempted to use a fake passport several years ago to steal about $330,000 from his bank account. But it gets better. Instead of finding a picture of Gervais himself for the passport, they just cut out the picture of his character, David Brent, from the DVD cover of the UK version of ‘The Office’. And why did they need all that cash? To buy gold bullion, of course (we swear this isn’t a plot from Gervais’ next comedy). After Gervais gave his bank permission, it contacted police, who arrested the dumb criminals while they attempted to purchase the gold.

The would-be thieves were sent to jail, and Gervais says he can laugh about the ordeal now. “We were laughing for ten minutes,” he told The Sun. ” …it’s a picture of David Brent sitting at a desk with that little smug look on his face!”

In other news, Steve Carrell was seen at a Best Buy grabbing armfuls of DVDs of the U.S. version of ‘The Office’ and shouting “I’m not Michael Scott!” [From: The Sun]

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Rule #84, Whatever it Takes!

In one of the wildest stories we have read over the Thanksgiving Holiday,  Michaele and Tareq Salahi are being investigated for crashing the White House State Dinner last week.  According to the Wall Street Journal:

President Barack Obama asked for a full review of how a Virginia couple vying for a spot in the cast of a reality-TV show was able to crash Tuesday’s state dinner for the prime minister of India, a White House official said Friday.

Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan issued a rare apology, saying the service took full responsibility for the episode and was “deeply concerned and embarrassed.”

Typically, anyone coming into contact with President Obama or certain areas of the white house are subject to a thorough background check by the US Secret Service.   The couple was still subject to various searches when entering the White House but nothing was done to verify their identity or criminal history before entering.

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We will kick off this weekends wrap up with a timely story from the National Football League (NFL).  Like my Cleveland Browns, the Oakland Raiders just can’t catch a break.  Fortunately for them they have a marker in the W column.  Unfortunately for them they have a bit of controversy off the field.  They are bracing for the possibility that coach Tom Cable could be arrested soon for an alleged assault on an assistant coach.  If charged, Cable could be suspended by the league.  If convicted Cable could run into serious problems if his next team decides to screen his criminal background.  More on that story here!

Making history today is Justice Sonia Sotomayor the first Hispanic justice of the United States Supreme Court.  Replacing retired Justice David Souter she will begin the new term with some interesting cases.  Background checks and gun laws will definitely be on their docket this year.  Most notably will be McDonald v. Chicago.  In 2008, the justices ruled in a case from the District of Columbia that the Second Amendment bestows an individual right to keep and bear arms. Because the case originated in a federal enclave, the justices passed on the question of whether the Second Amendment also applies to states, thus calling into question gun regulations in those jurisdictions. The justices have now taken up this question and are expected to decide whether citizens in Chicago — which has one of the most restrictive gun regulation regimes in the country — also enjoy the same Second Amendment rights as do their brethren in the District. This case was recently granted and is expected to be heard some time in early 2010.

In workplace violence news Forbes Magazine ran a story, Experts: US worker-on-worker violence under-reported.  Stemming from the murder at Yale Universtiy of Annie Le, they write about some interesting statistics.  Workplace homicide has dropped dramatically, to 444 such cases last year from twice as many in 1995, according to government statistics. And most of those deaths occur in robberies of taxi drivers and clerks. The worker-on-worker homicide rate hovers around a hundred a year nationwide, leaving little data to help predict who is likely to kill a co-worker, said Tom Tripp, co-author of “Getting Even: The Truth About Workplace Revenge.” More on this story Click Here

In a follow up to a story we wrote about extensively a few months back….Investigator: Bozeman’s Internet background checks weren’t voluntary.  If you remember this one, the City of Bozeman MT was asking job applicants to supply investigators with their passwords so they could access their Facebook and Myspace accounts as part of the pre-employment screening process.  The city suspended the policy in June of 2009 after they came under fire for the practice.  However, it appears as part of their investigation into the procedure they have found hiring managers got carried away with the practice! More on this story Click Here

This one should scare you if you have elderly relatives in Florida.  Florida lawmakers vow changes after learning of laxness, loopholes in checking child and elder care workers – Florida legislators pledged to overhaul state law to require that caregivers for children and the elderly undergo background checks before they begin work and to close loopholes that have let thousands of felons get jobs in day care and nursing homes.

The proposed reforms come after a Sun Sentinel investigative series last week identified disturbing flaws in the background screening system that allow people to work with Florida’s most vulnerable residents before the caregivers have been vetted. More on this story Click Here

And finally a Kidnapping plot proves the importance of background checks.  The man accused of plotting to kidnap two young girls from a bus stop and hold them for ransom made his first appearance in court on Friday.

Police say Ruben Garcia-Rosario parked his car near the girls’ bus stop to take pictures of them. Rosario is an illegal immigrant who had done some painting at the family’s house, according to investigators.

Would you let someone in your house without properly screening them?

More on this story Click Here

Well that’s it!  Have a great week and check back regularly for stories and comments in the background screening world!

If you have stories you would like us to blog about or post please feel free to email us at blog@employeescreen.com

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