Charles County employee is charged in scheme to sell stolen cleaning supplies
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Version 0 of 1. A Charles County government employee was charged with theft for selling off cleaning supplies at a reduced rate out of his home, investigators said Thursday. The official, 51-year-old Eric Bernard Riley, headed the custodial department. Authorities said he would buy more cleaning products for facilities than needed and later sell them at a discount. During an Aug. 5 search of Riley’s Hughesville home, investigators found cases of cleaning supplies, toilet paper, dish soap and laundry detergent. On Jan. 13, authorities issued a criminal summons charging the 51-year-old with theft over $10,000, according to a Charles County Sheriff’s Office press release. The investigation began in June 2015, after county government officials reached out to authorities about a possible theft scheme involving Riley, investigators said. Detectives said he would steal cleaning products by alerting purchase orders that slightly increased the number of items needed at each county facility or by switching out the products listed on purchase orders, according to the release. Authorities said detectives set up surveillance during the investigation, and Riley was the only county employee involved in the scheme. |