Detroit Fire Lieutenant's Payday Scandal Raises Questions About Accountability
A shocking investigation by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has revealed that a Detroit fire lieutenant, Lt. James Hill-Harris, had been padding his paychecks for years by submitting time sheets for hours he never worked. The scandal highlights issues of accountability and oversight within the department.
According to the OIG's findings, Hill-Harris, an arson investigator, fraudulently overstated his hours worked by more than 150 hours between 2018 and 2023. He relied on fake time sheets that didn't match key-card activity, cellphone data, or daily activity logs at Detroit Public Safety Headquarters.
The investigation also found that two of Hill-Harris's supervisors, Chief Dennis Richardson and Captain Rance Dixon, failed to perform their supervisory duties, which contributed to the lack of accountability for Hill-Harris's overtime. Both men approved or allowed time submissions without the documentation required under Detroit Fire Department rules.
Despite allegations of widespread attendance issues within the unit, including "longstanding attendance problems that had gone unaddressed," Richardson and Dixon did not take adequate action to address these issues.
The OIG's report also revealed that Hill-Harris claimed 622 hours of overtime in a six-month period between 2022 and 2023, including 43 hours of overtime in a single week. The investigation estimated that he may have received more than $120,800 in income tied to hours he didn't work over a four-year span.
Hill-Harris denied committing time fraud and claimed that working remotely, "work stacking," and clocking in/out from outside the City of Detroit network were widespread practices within the unit. His attorney argued that Hill-Harris was being singled out for engaging in practices that are common among his colleagues.
However, the OIG's report found no evidence to support this claim. The agency's investigation showed a consistent pattern of "Harris being at home or outside the city during hours he had reported as worked."
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office declined to pursue criminal charges against Hill-Harris, citing insufficient evidence to meet the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. However, the Detroit Police Department sought to strip his law-enforcement certification, and MCOLES permanently revoked it for "egregious misconduct involving his lack of accountability."
Detroit Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms fired Hill-Harris but reversed the decision after receiving additional evidence on his behalf. Hill-Harris was demoted two ranks and is now back to fighting fires.
The OIG's report highlights the need for greater oversight and accountability within the Detroit Police Department. The agency praised the work of the DPD in supporting their investigation, stating that "their partnership was instrumental in helping us identify time fraud and protect integrity in City operations."
A shocking investigation by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has revealed that a Detroit fire lieutenant, Lt. James Hill-Harris, had been padding his paychecks for years by submitting time sheets for hours he never worked. The scandal highlights issues of accountability and oversight within the department.
According to the OIG's findings, Hill-Harris, an arson investigator, fraudulently overstated his hours worked by more than 150 hours between 2018 and 2023. He relied on fake time sheets that didn't match key-card activity, cellphone data, or daily activity logs at Detroit Public Safety Headquarters.
The investigation also found that two of Hill-Harris's supervisors, Chief Dennis Richardson and Captain Rance Dixon, failed to perform their supervisory duties, which contributed to the lack of accountability for Hill-Harris's overtime. Both men approved or allowed time submissions without the documentation required under Detroit Fire Department rules.
Despite allegations of widespread attendance issues within the unit, including "longstanding attendance problems that had gone unaddressed," Richardson and Dixon did not take adequate action to address these issues.
The OIG's report also revealed that Hill-Harris claimed 622 hours of overtime in a six-month period between 2022 and 2023, including 43 hours of overtime in a single week. The investigation estimated that he may have received more than $120,800 in income tied to hours he didn't work over a four-year span.
Hill-Harris denied committing time fraud and claimed that working remotely, "work stacking," and clocking in/out from outside the City of Detroit network were widespread practices within the unit. His attorney argued that Hill-Harris was being singled out for engaging in practices that are common among his colleagues.
However, the OIG's report found no evidence to support this claim. The agency's investigation showed a consistent pattern of "Harris being at home or outside the city during hours he had reported as worked."
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office declined to pursue criminal charges against Hill-Harris, citing insufficient evidence to meet the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. However, the Detroit Police Department sought to strip his law-enforcement certification, and MCOLES permanently revoked it for "egregious misconduct involving his lack of accountability."
Detroit Fire Commissioner Chuck Simms fired Hill-Harris but reversed the decision after receiving additional evidence on his behalf. Hill-Harris was demoted two ranks and is now back to fighting fires.
The OIG's report highlights the need for greater oversight and accountability within the Detroit Police Department. The agency praised the work of the DPD in supporting their investigation, stating that "their partnership was instrumental in helping us identify time fraud and protect integrity in City operations."
I mean who gets caught for faking hours worked but still manages to get demoted but not fired? it's like he just dodged the bullet, you know? I remember back in the day when we used to worry about stuff like this with our parents or grandparents telling us stories about embezzlement and scams... nowadays it feels like these high-ups are just getting away with things because nobody's really holding them accountable anymore 
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like, i get it we all need a little extra cash but come on... 150+ hours is wild. i'm so glad the OIG got to the bottom of this though & that Hill-Harris's supervisors didn't step up sooner when they saw something fishy going on 
and yeah, it's def crazy that he claimed all that overtime work was legit just bcos everyone else in his unit did it too... no way that holds water
! And the fact that no one really did anything about it until now? That just shows there was a lack of accountability in place, which is super concerning.
. It's all about setting an example and being transparent, you know?
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this scandal is crazy i mean a fire lieutenant just faking his own hours for years and getting paid for it 
it's not just the money that's the problem, it's the lack of accountability and oversight in the department 
the fact that Hill-Harris claimed he was working remotely but actually wasn't is just ridiculous 
i hope this investigation brings about some real change to prevent something like this from happening again 
. This whole thing reeks of a lack of accountability and oversight within the department 
. It's wild that he was able to coast for so long without anyone questioning it 
. Kudos to MCOLES for revoking his certification, though - someone needs to hold these people accountable 
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