Gift and procurement cards lead to $95,000 finding at Wright State University

Nearly $50,000 in missing gift cards at the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University (Greene County) was identified in an audit released this week by Auditor of State Dave Yost.

“Much of accounting can be boiled down to competent control of the cash,” Auditor Yost said.

“There is no reason for our state universities, especially the professional schools that set the standards of good conduct, to risk these kinds of losses of public funds.”

The total finding for recovery amounted to $94,885. Of this amount, a review by the university determined that $49,780 in gift cards intended for participants in medical studies were never distributed and could not be accounted for.

In addition, seven individuals were named as responsible parties for findings ranging from $150 to $17,366 for various expenditures that were either deemed not for a proper public purpose or that lacked required documentation.

Among these, a university procurement card was used to provide cash to study participants, including some fictitious names, and was used to make personal expenditures.

The matter has been referred to local authorities for investigation and potential prosecution.

The entire finding was repaid to the university by a private organization, Wright State Physicians.