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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL

MEMORANDUM OF INVESTIGATIVE ACTIVITY

On May 17, 2016 Senior Special Agent (SSA) Sarina Lopez and SSA Steven Teague, New
Mexico Human Services Department (HSD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), conducted an
interview with
, Line Manager for HSD Northeast Bernalillo ISD. The interview was
JB
conducted at JB 's place of employment located at 4330 Cutler Ave, NE Albuquerque, NM.
SSA Lopez and SSA Teague identified themselves to JB verbally and by show of their
credentials. The purpose of the interview was being conducted in connection with an official
OIG investigation into allegations that the Income Support Division (ISD) was entering false
information on recipient's cases to avoid late expedites and sanctions from the federal
government.
JB was advised that the interview was being recorded (recording attached
hereto) and that her statement was voluntary. JB in summary, stated the following:

JB

did not object to the recording of the interview.

JB stated she became a Line Manager January 4, 2016. She stated she has worked for
HSD for nine years. She was an FAA I for about four years and FAA II for about four
.
years. JB 's work phone number is
JB stated she has never been asked to change anything in a case to reflect nonexpedite. She stated she has been working with Fair Hearings cases for the last couple of
years and doesn't come across many expedite cases. She stated she has not heard any
managers or anyone else talk about changing cases to reflect non-expedite, if the case
was going to be a late expedite. She stated she has not received any emails regarding
expedites.
JB could not recall any meetings with HSD Regional Managers or Directors. She
stated she was diagnosed with cancer in March 2016 and since then everything has been a
blur. She said she also has missed a lot of work.
JB said she has never experienced the NE Bernalillo ISD office talking about the
importance timely expedites. She stated when she worked at the NW Bernalillo ISD
office she would hear how important timely expedites were.

TITLE:

JB

NE ISD Line Mana e

NAME: SA Sarina Lopez

ACTIVITY DATE: May 17, 2016

CASE NUMBER:

I 6-PSI-27396

This document contains neither recommendations or corclusions of HSD/OIG . It is the property of HSD and neither
the document or its contents should be disseminated without prior OIG authorization.
Rev 9.24. 15

MEMORANDUM OF INVESTIGATIVE ACTIVITY

Date: (May 17, 2016)
Case Number: (16-PSI-27396)

JB stated the only benefit to HSD for adding false information to a case, would be the
timely percentage on expedites. She said to her understanding is, that if an employee
comes across a late expedite, they are to process the case and take the hit. She said if she
sees a late expedite she brings it to another manager in the office, since she doesn't deal
with expedite cases. She said she really doesn't know what happens to the late expedite
after that, because she does not work with expedite cases. She said in the past when she
worked at NW she did get a late expedite and was told to process the case the way it was.
JB said timely expedites have always been pressed in any office she has worked, but
never at NE more than anywhere else. She said it's important to be timely because timely
customer service is their goal.
JB did not recall any directives asking management or other staff to change cases to
reflect non-expedite, to avoid an untimely expedite.
JB said she works from a share drive often, because that's how she keeps track of her
hearings cases. She stated there are two share drives: one is the manager share drive and
that is the share drive she works from. The manager share drive also holds calendars that
have the staffs schedules. All the staff has access to the other share drive that holds
policies, Gls, and the Business Intelligence (BI) module that keeps track of applications.
JB said when she was out of the office there was an email requesting her computer
name, but she does not remember who the email came from.
JB was asked what she thought about someone entering false information in a case
that was not reported, and what should the consequences be. She said it would be wrong,
but if it wasn't malicious she doesn't think they should be disciplined, unless they are
frequently entering false information. She said if a worker is new it's easy to put the
wrong information in the wrong place. She doesn't think staffs are being directed to enter
false information into cases.