Stephen Barton, a former senior employee of the Interior Department’s Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), has pleaded guilty to submitting false disclosure forms to conceal income from an association receiving FWS grants and cooperative agreements.
While employed as the chief of administration and information management for FWS, and simultaneously treasurer for an association working with FWS, Barton garnered approximately $300,000 from the association and made false statements on FWS forms to conceal the income.
The willful deception took place between Jan. 1, 2010, and Dec. 31, 2014, and included falsifying a request for ethics approval to engage in outside work or activity, a confidential financial disclosure report (OGE Form 450) and several confidential certificate of no new interests forms (OGE Form 450-A).
The Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General’s Eastern Division investigated the case, and the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section is prosecuting.
Barton is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 24, 2017.
Former Fish and Wildlife employee pleads guilty to concealing income, false disclosures
