The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Utah field office has established a public corruption tip line.
The public corruption tip line will be available to individuals residing in the three states covered by the Salt Lake City FBI field office pointed out Timothy Fuhrman, special agent in charge.
The field office encompasses Utah, Idaho and Montana.
The FBI established the tip line to allow local residents who believe the public trust has been betrayed by elected officials or public servants to report the matter to the federal law enforcement agency.
The toll-free telephone number is 1-866-502-7423.
Additionally, local residents with Internet access may provide tips regarding public corruption via the FBI Salt Lake City field office Web site, continued the special agent in charge.
Residents may access the site by going to http://saltlakecity.fbi.gov/.
Carbon County residents are encouraged to provide contact information so a follow-up communication can be made by federal investigators, pointed out Fuhrman.
However, citizens residing in the Castle Valley region may also provide anonymous tips regarding suspected corruption of public trust violations.
Fuhrman announced the establishment of the tip line in conjunction with the unsealing of two federal indictments filed in the district of Utah.
The federal indictments charged three employees of the Davis County School District with numerous criminal violations in connection with alleged fraudulent activities during a five-year period, explained the special agency in charge at the FBI field office in Salt Lake City.
The indictments filed against the Davis County School District employees involved the purported misappropriation of more than $4.5 million in public funds.
“Unfortunately, this case is an egregious abuse of the public trust by three individuals who decided to enrich themselves with money which rightfully belonged to the citizens and taxpayers of the state of Utah,” indicated Fuhrman.
“People may not consider this case to be an example of public corruption because it does not involve dishonest conduct by an elected public official. However, any individual who serves the public and abuses that trust given to them by the citizens he or she serves can be the subject of a public corruption investigation and possible prosecution,” pointed out the special agent in charge.
The investigation of public corruption cases is the highest priority of the FBI’s criminal investigative program, according to the federal law enforcement agency.
During the last two years, investigations conducted by FBI agents have led to the prosecution and conviction of more than 1,000 public officials nationwide, noted the Salt Lake City field office’s special agent in charge.
In addition, there are currently more than 2,000 public corruption criminal investigations pending at different locations across the United States.
“Individuals may be reluctant to report corrupt activities by their colleagues in the public sector or they may not know where or how to report it. The FBI hopes that by establishing this tip line, individuals will feel free to report possible public corruption and abuses of the public trust,” concluded Fuhrman.
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