Audit finds invoicing gaps and some overbilling in Wayne County sheriff's residential treatment program

The Wayne County Committee on Audit on May 1 received a performance audit that found weaknesses in controls over the Sheriff’s Office community‑based residential rehabilitation treatment (CBRRT) program, including inconsistent attendance records, a lack of invoice validation and sample overbillings totaling $6,150.

The audit, presented by Legislative Auditor General Marcy Cora, examined calendar years 2022 through 2024 and tested invoices and attendance records. "We identified 4 issues and had 11 recommendations to strengthen the sheriff's internal controls over the CBBRT program," Cora said. The audit classified one finding as a material weakness and one as a significant deficiency.

The report said three of four contracted providers submitted attendance or sign‑in sheets inconsistently (missing dates, times or signatures) and one provider recorded attendance only in progress notes. The audit team recommended that Wayne County Sheriff’s Office management require standardized attendance sheets and that providers submit those sheets with monthly invoices to support billed days.

Chief Robert Dunlap of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged the problems identified and said his office had already begun internal work before the audit. "When the recommendation came to confirm that we had attendance sheets that accompany every invoice that come back, certainly, we agreed because it was something that we had already identified,"…