RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A now-former supervisor with Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities (DPU) stole nearly $18,000 worth of wire spools from the city over the course of several months and sold them for a fraction of their cost, per a new report from the city’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
In late September, Richmond OIG published a report on its investigation into the criminal conduct of then-DPU power line specialist supervisor John LaBossiere, which it initially launched on Oct. 24, 2024.
According to the report, Richmond OIG was asked to look into claims that LaBossiere had abused his authority, wasted government resources and intentionally defrauded the city by taking copper and aluminum wire from a Traffic Streetlight Division utility vehicle before his scheduled shifts and selling it for cash.
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In total, Richmond OIG learned LaBossiere had sold all of this illegally-obtained wire for $5,231.41. However, the actual value of the wire was reportedly $17,689.33 — more than three times what LaBossiere earned through his scheme.
How did LaBossiere carry out this fraud?
DPU staff told Richmond OIG investigators that LaBossiere would park at a specific location at the DPU “several days a week” an hour before his assigned shift and, once day-shift employees and supervisors began leaving for the day, he would enter the shop, take vehicle keys and head to the back lot without authorization. He would then remove both aluminum and copper wire from utility trucks and place it in his personal vehicle…