A Ringgold man who worked for the National Park Service has admitted to stealing thousands of dollars in taxpayer money by submitting false overtime claims.
Federal prosecutors say 48-year-old Donny Campbell, a former maintenance department employee at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, pleaded guilty to theft of government funds after investigators uncovered fraudulent timesheets.
According to prosecutors, Campbell claimed hundreds of hours of overtime he did not actually work while employed by the National Park Service. The false overtime entries occurred over a more than two-year period, spanning from January 2017 through June 2019.
Authorities say the fraudulent claims resulted in nearly $40,000 in improper payments from federal funds.
As part of a plea agreement, Campbell agreed to resign from his position, permanently forgo any future federal employment, and repay the full amount of the stolen money to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Campbell entered his guilty plea on October 2. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 23, when a federal judge will determine his punishment based on federal sentencing guidelines, according to prosecutors.