Minneapolis violence prevention groups put on notice, accused of double billing

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The City of Minneapolis appears to be cracking down on the billing and record keeping of organizations doing violence intervention work in the community. 

FOX 9 Investigators have obtained documents from city hall, putting two groups on notice, accusing them of double billing. One of the providers has been told, if he does not clean up his reimbursement claims, he could lose his six-figure contract.

Violence prevention efforts

What we know:

The FOX 9 Investigators have reported extensively on the concerns about how the city of Minneapolis is spending millions of dollars in violence prevention efforts -- the work that goes beyond traditional policing. It has led to lawsuits, claims of mismanagement, complaints about a lack of accountability as well as a commitment from city hall to audit and more closely scrutinize how tax dollars are spent.

In a letter obtained by the FOX 9 Investigators, the city attorney’s office raises serious concerns with Urban Youth Conservation (UYC) and its owner Ferome Brown, who has a contract worth $207,612 in taxpayer funding to reduce gang violence.

The letter is dated April 17 and was sent to Brown via email, accusing Brown of submitting invoices "containing false claims" for contracted services by double billing the city and Hennepin County multiple times for the same hours worked. The city writes the issues, "raise significant concerns" about the group’s billing practices, warning they may face contract termination if they file additional false claims in the future.

Urban Youth Conservation responds

What they're saying:

Brown has been a leader in Minneapolis’ gang violence prevention efforts. The FOX 9 Investigators reached him by phone on Friday seeking comment. He called the double billing situation a "mix-up," and blamed a bookkeeper for any mistake that was made. He asked for time to meet with leaders at city hall to correct any issues, telling the FOX 9 Investigators, "I was not in the wrong."

According to the letter, the city is giving Brown 10 days to take corrective action including providing a detailed accounting of all payments he has received under the city’s current violence intervention contract as well as submitting a plan to ensure additional false claims are not made.

Another case of double billing

Why you should care:

A separate, internal document obtained by the FOX 9 Investigators shows the city auditor’s office is taking issue with another alleged case of double billing. In that instance, the leader of another organization that had a prior violence intervention contract, is accused of seeking pay for up to 90 hours a week of work, from both Minneapolis as well as Hennepin County.

The audit also flagged several other violations including a lack of data reporting on outcomes of its youth violence intervention efforts, as was required by their contract. 

The FOX 9 Investigators had previously reported the city was auditing its violence prevention contracts as part of a lawsuit settlement that raised serious questions about exactly how public funding was being distributed in Minneapolis’ effort to reimagine public safety.

City officials released the following statement to the FOX 9 Investigators.

"The City of Minneapolis is committed to the responsible use of taxpayers money, with a strong emphasis on accountability and transparency. Where the City observes irregularities regarding invoicing, staff closely examines those instances and investigates accordingly. The Office of Community Safety and Neighborhood Safety Department takes this duty seriously and is committed to taking appropriate action where necessary."