Priorities.
An investigative report released Wednesday shows a former city of Gainesville employee, accused of stealing more than $93,000 from the city, spent some of it on a Brazilian butt lift.
The report found that former city staff specialist Natwaina Clark, 33, charged her city-issued credit card 136 times for roughly $61,000 in unauthorized charges, used her bosses’ cards at least 36 more times for an additional $31,000, and spent nearly $900 on a coworker’s card five times between November 2015 and March 2017.
The report also finds department heads acted negligently, allowing city funds to be misspent.
Documents attached to the report show Clark, who was hired in August 2015, funneled roughly $41,000 to her personal PayPal account, linked to her bank account, and that $8,500 of it went toward a Brazilian butt lift. The cosmetic surgery procedure uses fat from one part of the body to augment one’s buttocks.
PayPal transactions were itemized as “decor,” “storage bins,” and “holiday banners.”
Purchases also show Clark paid $2,413 to Cox Communications, spent $1,011 at CVS, $739 at Sam’s Club for mostly food items, $680 to her personal SunPass account and bought a “large” TV.
Clark, whose salary was $33,500, was fired from the city March 21, while on a cruise-ship vacation, the report said. She was arrested March 28 and charged with larceny and scheme to defraud, both felonies.
The auditor’s report paints Clark as an intelligent worker who was eager to help, and who could legitimately have earned promotions had she not made illegitimate purchases even during her new-employee probation.
The report said Clark explained her “likely noticeable condition of living beyond her means” by telling coworkers she had a boyfriend who “bought her things.” In one instance, Clark sent an “Edible Arrangements” bouquet to her office, telling coworkers they were from the generous boyfriend.
The bouquet later turned up as a $123.16 expense on her city-issued Visa card.
City spokesman Bob Woods said he could not comment on the report’s specifics, but said the ordeal overshadowed the good work of hundreds of other city employees.