Pro tip for city employees (and humans in general)? If somebody hands you a lost wallet with an ID and cash in it, you probably don't want to take the money as a reward. Because you never know when you might be undergoing an "integrity test" that might cost you your job.
We mention this because today the NYC Department of Investigation announced that Erthal Scott, a 32-year-old City Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP) officer City Seasonal Aid [Update: the DOI initially misrepresented Scott's job], was been arrested for stealing $55 from a wallet that was turned into him and reported as lost in just such a test. He has been charged with one count of Petit Larceny, a class A misdemeanor that could put him in jail for up to a year if he is convicted.
According to officials, in June, Scott was given "a wallet from a DOI undercover investigator posing as a park visitor who was turning it in as found property. The wallet contained $55 in cash and an identification card with contact information. DOI’s investigation found the defendant failed to secure the wallet and instead took and spent the money that was in it."
Scott was fired as a result of the sting in August. And by the way? Just like you shouldn't take the money out of a wallet like that, you also shouldn't take money from a bag you find lying around. Because you never know who is watching.
