Detroit Fire Lieutenant Illegally Claimed Millions in Overtime Pay for Hours Not Worked, Investigation Finds.
A Detroit fire lieutenant has been found to have fraudulently claimed millions of dollars in overtime pay for hours he did not work. James Hill-Harris, a 10-year veteran of the department, allegedly submitted time sheets that showed him working hours he never actually logged, according to an investigation by the city's Office of Inspector General (OIG).
The OIG found that Hill-Harris overstated his hours worked by more than 150 hours between 2018 and 2023. In some instances, investigators discovered that Hill-Harris was not even in Detroit during hours he claimed to be on duty. For example, cellphone data showed he was outside the city during at least one hour he reported working.
Hill-Harris' overtime claims included 43 hours of work in a single week, and it's estimated that he may have received over $120,000 in income for those hours not worked. However, his supervisor, Chief Dennis Richardson, did not take adequate steps to prevent the fraud, despite knowing about Hill-Harris' attendance problems.
The OIG also found that two other supervisors, Richardson and Captain Rance Dixon, failed to perform their basic oversight duties, which contributed to the lack of accountability for Hill-Harris' overtime. The agency stated that both men approved or allowed time submissions without the documentation required under Detroit Fire Department rules.
In an interview with Metro Times, Detroit Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms said he fired Hill-Harris but later reversed the decision after receiving some additional evidence on his behalf. Hill-Harris was demoted and is now back to fighting fires.
Hill-Harris denied committing time fraud and claimed that working remotely, work stacking, and clocking in/out from outside the city were "widespread, accepted, and sometimes mandated practices" within the unit. However, his attorney's statement does not seem to address the discrepancies found by investigators.
The investigation highlights a lack of oversight within the Detroit Fire Department, particularly among supervisors. The OIG praised the thorough work of the DPD in supporting their investigation and emphasized that the agency's standard is lower than the proof required for criminal charges.
A Detroit fire lieutenant has been found to have fraudulently claimed millions of dollars in overtime pay for hours he did not work. James Hill-Harris, a 10-year veteran of the department, allegedly submitted time sheets that showed him working hours he never actually logged, according to an investigation by the city's Office of Inspector General (OIG).
The OIG found that Hill-Harris overstated his hours worked by more than 150 hours between 2018 and 2023. In some instances, investigators discovered that Hill-Harris was not even in Detroit during hours he claimed to be on duty. For example, cellphone data showed he was outside the city during at least one hour he reported working.
Hill-Harris' overtime claims included 43 hours of work in a single week, and it's estimated that he may have received over $120,000 in income for those hours not worked. However, his supervisor, Chief Dennis Richardson, did not take adequate steps to prevent the fraud, despite knowing about Hill-Harris' attendance problems.
The OIG also found that two other supervisors, Richardson and Captain Rance Dixon, failed to perform their basic oversight duties, which contributed to the lack of accountability for Hill-Harris' overtime. The agency stated that both men approved or allowed time submissions without the documentation required under Detroit Fire Department rules.
In an interview with Metro Times, Detroit Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms said he fired Hill-Harris but later reversed the decision after receiving some additional evidence on his behalf. Hill-Harris was demoted and is now back to fighting fires.
Hill-Harris denied committing time fraud and claimed that working remotely, work stacking, and clocking in/out from outside the city were "widespread, accepted, and sometimes mandated practices" within the unit. However, his attorney's statement does not seem to address the discrepancies found by investigators.
The investigation highlights a lack of oversight within the Detroit Fire Department, particularly among supervisors. The OIG praised the thorough work of the DPD in supporting their investigation and emphasized that the agency's standard is lower than the proof required for criminal charges.
Detroit fire lieutenant got caught red-handed trying to scam the system for millions. i mean come on, 150 hours of extra pay just because he decided to "work from home" and clocked out from outside the city? 
that's not how it works fam. and what really gets me is his supervisor didn't do their job to prevent this fraud. it's a clear case of lazy leadership and lack of accountability. the fire department needs to get its act together before someone gets hurt 
. And to think his supervisor knew about the attendance problems and still didn't do anything about it...that's some sloppy management right there 
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. I mean, you'd think he'd be fired for good by now. But hey, at least he's back to fighting fires, which is what matters most, right? 
. It just goes to show that no one is above the law, not even in a big organization like a fire department. We need better accountability and oversight, for sure 
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. Now let's hope the DPD takes steps to fix this and make sure it doesn't happen again 
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. I mean, who needs a job when you can just claim millions from the city? It's not like he was hurting anyone or breaking any rules. And what's wrong with working remotely or "clocking in/out" from outside the city? That sounds like a super legit way to do your job 
. The fact that his supervisor didn't take action despite knowing about Hill-Harris' attendance problems just goes to show that the system is totally corrupt and letting people off scot-free. And let's be real, who needs accountability when you're making six figures? It's not like it's going to make a difference in anyone's life. Plus, getting fired and then having your decision reversed sounds like a total win-win for Hill-Harris 
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that lack of accountability is what really gets me 
. I'm all for people getting paid for their work, but not when they're just making it up as they go along. And what's even more messed up is that his supervisors didn't do anything about it until he got fired 
The investigation found that two other supervisors were just as complicit, which is not okay. 
I'm glad the fire commissioner did end up firing him in the end, but it's also weird that he reversed the decision later. What even is that? 
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. Maybe we can learn from this mess and make some changes to prevent it in the future 
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. The fact that his supervisor didn't take action despite knowing about attendance issues is wild 
. I mean, who wants to work for a department where you can get away with this kind of thing? 
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. It's not like this guy was just having a bad day or two, he was doing it consistently for years. And now we're left with what? A demotion and some additional evidence that wasn't enough to get him fired in the first place 
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but seriously how many times do we need to see corrupt officials in positions of power before we hold them accountable 
instead they just went along with it because they were too lazy or too caught up in their own corruption 
i mean this is a fire department we're talking about where people's lives are literally on the line every day 
newsflash buddy: just because something is accepted in one place doesn't mean it's right or fair everywhere else 
like some people do when they think no one's watching 
but at least he got caught 
, I mean 150 hours overstated? that's like a whole extra week of pay just from making up time on his sheets 
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. what if our focus is too much on individual success rather than collective excellence?