3 accused of faking time sheets, using Wayne Co. materials to refurbish Romulus business

Three Wayne County employees who allegedly used county materials and equipment to refurbish a business while on the clock have been charged with fraud.

Scott VanPeeren, 54, of Wyandotte, John Everhart, 50, of Farmington Hills and Justin Whorton, 40, of Detroit, are each facing a charge of larceny of $1,000 or more but less than $20,000, and a charge of conspiracy to commit larceny of $1,000 or more but less than $20,000, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Tuesday in a statement. Both charges are felonies and carry a penalty of up to five years in prison.

She said VanPeeren and Everhart were formally charged in 34th District Court in Romulus Tuesday. A judge set bond for each at $1,000 and scheduled their next court appearance for Wednesday of next week.

Arrangements for Whorton’s arraignment are still being made, the county prosecutor said.

Worthy said the three county workers were suspended from their jobs with pay Tuesday.

"We have been charging and holding defendants accountable for their unscrupulous criminal behavior for almost two decades," Worthy said. "It amazes me that despite this, corruption continues because corrupters think they will never be held to account. In this case, these three defendants allegedly knowingly accepted money from the county in the form of wages that they did not deserve. There is nothing right about this."

Officials said they began investigating allegations that the three men, who work for the county's Bridge Department, were using county materials and equipment to refurbish a business in Romulus during their shifts at work. The investigation was launched after officials received in spring 2022 an anonymous letter detailing the fraud.

Last April, Worthy's office directed its investigators to look into the allegations with the help of the FBI.

The probe revealed that the three defendants were working at a business called Romulus Nutrition on Ecorse Road and submitted falsified time sheets to the county. At the time, the county was unaware the three were performing work at the business and paid them.

It also uncovered that the three used county equipment and materials to perform the work at the business.

Officials said the investigation is ongoing and no other information will be released at this time.

"We continue our commitment to hold employees accountable who misuse Wayne County taxpayer dollars," Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said in a statement. "The employees charged today showed a blatant lack of integrity and respect for the residents that we serve. My office will continue to collaborate with Prosecutor Worthy and local and state officials to ensure that everyone involved in this egregious operation is prosecuted."

cramirez@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @CharlesERamirez