DeKalb County WorkSource DeKalb (DeKalb Workforce Development Board)
Outcome
DeKalb County agreed to pay $750,000 to settle False Claims Act allegations that WorkSource DeKalb used DOL On-the-Job Training grant funds to subsidize its own county government payroll — including 42 newly hired firefighters — rather than providing training services to eligible job seekers.
Details
DeKalb County WorkSource DeKalb — False Claims Act: OJT Fund Misuse (2013–2016)
Outcome: DeKalb County agreed to pay $750,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that WorkSource DeKalb falsely certified compliance with DOL regulations by using On-the-Job Training grant funds to subsidize county government payroll rather than to train eligible unemployed job seekers.
The U.S. Department of Labor's On-the-Job Training (OJT) program provides reimbursements to employers that hire and train individuals who need workforce skill development. The program is intended to benefit job seekers who face employment barriers or lack the skills needed for available positions. WorkSource DeKalb administered OJT funds as the local workforce development board for DeKalb County, Georgia.
Between January 1, 2013 and December 18, 2016, WorkSource DeKalb falsely certified to the DOL that it was complying with OJT program regulations while, in fact, using the funds in ways that violated those requirements. Rather than directing funds to benefit unemployed and underemployed citizens who needed training, WorkSource DeKalb enrolled employees across numerous county departments — including the GIS Department, Human Resources, Emergency 911, the District Attorney's Office, the Board of Commissioners Clerk, Planning and Sustainability, a Chamber of Commerce, Sanitation, Information Systems, Child Advocacy, and Voter Registration — into the OJT program.
Most significantly, WorkSource DeKalb enrolled at least 42 newly hired county firefighters in the OJT program. These individuals had been selected through a competitive hiring process as the most qualified applicants; they had professional credentials and no prior connection to WorkSource DeKalb. Many of the firefighters had never heard of WorkSource DeKalb prior to being hired. To induce their participation in OJT paperwork, WorkSource DeKalb employees provided the new firefighters with free boots and gas cards — also paid for with federal grant funds.
Prior to being informed of the federal investigation, DeKalb County CEO Thurmond initiated a departmental review and removed the former WorkSource DeKalb manager and other senior staff. A new director was appointed in April 2018. DeKalb County agreed to pay $750,000 on May 16, 2019, with the settlement explicitly noting the claims resolved were allegations only and did not constitute a finding of liability.
Primary Source: DeKalb County agrees to pay $750,000 to settle false claims act allegations — DOJ Northern District of Georgia
How Crucible Prevents This
WorkSource DeKalb's core failure was enrolling ineligible participants — competitive hire county employees who needed no job training — in a federal training program and falsely certifying compliance, then using the grant reimbursements to subsidize the county's own payroll. Crucible's participant eligibility verification controls, false certification prevention workflows, and grant fund use tracking directly address this failure. Automated eligibility checks against program criteria at the point of enrollment, combined with audit trails for certification sign-offs, are Crucible-class controls that would have blocked the enrollment of 42 already-employed, professionally credentialed firefighters into a new-hire training subsidy program.
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