Misuse of Government Vehicle by Department of Corrections Official
The Department of Corrections confirmed that Lawrence McGugins used a government vehicle for personal errands and commuting for 118 days. This revelation came to light on Wednesday.
McGugins, who oversees fraud investigations in his role as the head of the special investigations division, is now finding himself in a position where he must refund over $5,200. This repayment stems from his misuse of taxpayer-funded tolls.
During his time as an employee, he utilized government “pool” cars for his commutes between his workplace in Mount Vernon and his home in the suburbs, in addition to running personal errands across Queens and Manhattan. Between January 2023 and February 2024, this resulted in 257 E-Zpass toll charges, costing taxpayers $1,234.81.
Details show that he parked a shared pool vehicle in a Bronx NYPD lot, then drove to his home in Mount Vernon. This information was confirmed in a settlement with the governing board.
To maintain this arrangement, he would return to the NYPD lot using his personal vehicle and then utilize the government car for work purposes. The settlement indicates that other employees won’t have access to the vehicle moving forward.
Interestingly, to avoid GPS alerts while crossing into Westchester County, McGugins kept the vehicle parked in the Bronx, as noted by the board.
He also used the car for two days traveling to locations in Flushing and Long Island City, which is mentioned in the settlement.
Since assuming leadership of the special investigation division in October 2022, McGugins agreed to repay the E-Zpass fees and settle an additional $4,000 fine.
In his resolution, McGugins acknowledged his misconduct, stating that he believed he was authorized to use the DOC vehicle for these tasks. He remarked, “At every time involved, I mistakenly believed I was assigned a DOC vehicle to perform these tasks.”
He further admitted, “I acknowledge that the vehicle is being used now. I acknowledge that I am not permitted to use DOC vehicles for my commute.”
As per his LinkedIn profile, McGugins previously held roles as a senior chief investigator at the MTA Inspector General’s Office and as a supervisory investigator at the city’s Department of Investigation.
No immediate response was received from McGugins’s attorney regarding the situation.
The Department of Corrections has communicated its remarks to the Conflict of Interest Committee.
