Nevadan gambling addict lands prison time in credit card fraud
CARSON CITY — A former Nevada Transportation Department employee from Fallon has been sentenced to 18 to 48 months in state prison for his fraudulent use of a state credit card to support a gambling addiction.
Tal Pierre Smith, 56, of Fallon, about 60 miles east of Reno, received the maximum sentence. He has also been ordered to pay $250,000 in restitution to the agency.
Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt announced the Tuesday sentencing by Tenth Judicial District Court Judge Thomas Stockard.
“State employees are held to a high standard as public servants and should not abuse the trust vested in them by misappropriating public funds,” Laxalt said in a statement.
Smith used the credit card to purchase unnecessary, extraneous items, with the intent to sell or use for his own benefit. He was able to disguise the unauthorized purchases over about a four-year period of time and it was ultimately the delivery of some unauthorized equipment while Smith was on vacation that resulted in the investigation leading to his arrest and conviction.
A recent legislative audit of the agency found that weak controls over procurement of supplies resulted in the situation where Smith, a stockroom employee, could make the fraudulent purchases. Smith was able to engage in the fraud because there was no supervisory review required for the purchases.
The agency accepted all eight recommendations made by audit staff and said in a response that it has already taken action to address the concerns.
Contact Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3900. Find him on Twitter: @seanw801.
