Report: Former KCS employee used taxpayer dollars for gambling

Roger Underwood

Really appreciate it, man. Seriously, you made good coin ($95,700 annually) and you got to (allegedly) steal, too? Nice.

Whatever.

A former Knox County Schools employee, fired in October for misuse of a school credit card, used public funds for gambling and "inappropriate alcohol purposes", according to a report from the Tennessee Comptroller's Office.

Roger Underwood, 61, who was the accounts payable supervisor, was charged last week with felony theft.

His dismissal helped prompt an internal audit of school system finances including its credit card program. In November, KCS did away with six credit cards it previously had issued to high-ranking officials including Underwood, switching instead to the county's electronic purchase card, or e-card, program and travel card system.

A report issued by the state comptroller's has revealed new details about the extent of Underwood's alleged theft.

The investigation found that Underwood made personal charges totaling at least $10,445 on a Knox County Schools credit card. He admitted that many of these charges were for online gambling, and that he lost $1800 betting in a single day.

He also received duplicate reimbursement of $1,544 for lodging and meal expenses for at least three school system related trips. he charged the expenses to a school credit card, and also requested and received reimbursement from the system for those trips.

Investigators noted that several of the meals Underwood charged to the school credit card appeared excessive.

They also questioned $731 in charges to Underwood's KCS credit card for a retirement reception in Biloxi, Mississippi. The reception charges included hors d'oeuvres, wine and beer, but the party was not for a KCS employee.