January 28, 2015
Carson City, NV – Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt announced that Tal Pierre Smith, 56, of Fallon, Nev. was sentenced on Tuesday, Jan. 27 for fraudulent use of a state Procurement Visa Card assigned to Smith to carry out his duties as a Supply Technician.
State employees are held to a high standard as public servants and should not abuse the trust vested in them by misappropriating public funds,” said Attorney General Laxalt. “I will continue to protect to taxpayer dollars by prosecuting crooks who masquerade as public servants.”
Tenth Judicial District Court Judge Thomas L. Stockard sentenced Smith to 18 to 48 months in the custody of the Nevada Department of Corrections. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Smith was ordered to pay $250,639.11 restitution to the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT).
Smith, a former NDOT employee stationed in Fallon, Nev., was sentenced on one count of fraudulent appropriation of property, a felony, in violation of NRS 197.210 and 193.019. Smith misappropriated money and property from NDOT in the total amount of $250,639.11, over an approximate four year period of time; from Jan. 2010 through Dec. 2013.
Smith purchased unnecessary, extraneous items, with the intent to sell and /or use them for his own benefit. He was able to disguise the unauthorized purchases and it was ultimately the delivery of some unauthorized equipment, while Smith was on vacation that resulted in the investigation leading to Smith’s arrest and conviction.
To read the criminal complaint, click here.
This case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Office Investigator Wayne Fazzino and prosecuted by Chief Deputy Attorney Thom Gover, Special Prosecutions Unit.
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