In the 21 months she has been suspended from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Tamara Davis has earned $70,000.
That ended Nov. 3 when Mayor Bill Peduto changed her status to “suspended without pay” after she was formally charged with multiple felony counts of theft, forgery and misuse of public funds.
Davis, 48, was arraigned before District Justice Oscar Petite and released on her own recognizance, thus bringing to a close the long and twisted corruption investigation of city officials that put former Chief of police Nate Harper behind bars.
In total, Davis is charged with stealing various amounts totaling $9,165 between 2009 and 2012. Among these are $2,000 that was supposed to be spent on backpacks for the bureau’s youth program, and $4,000 she withdrew to purchase riot gear for the G-20 Summit.
In both instances, Davis, a civilian payroll clerk who worked in the bureau and had a side business with Harper, allegedly spent the money on herself.
The Allegheny County District Attorney’s office issued a brief statement saying Davis will likely be the last person charged in connection with the theft of city funds:
“With the filing of these charges, our office does not anticipate any other individuals being charged in connection with the handling of these funds.”
Davis, along with Harper, was the subject of a federal grand jury probe that ended in August with the FBI turning over its findings to the district attorney. By then Harper had already resigned and pleaded guilty to stealing $70,000 from the same ghost accounts Davis is charged with looting. At the time she was second in command of the bureau’s personnel and finance office and had access to the accounts.
Two other bureau employees remain on suspension with pay as a result of the nearly two-year-old investigation: Sandra Ganster, who was Davis’ supervisor, and Officer Tonya Montgomery-Ford, who worked at police headquarters. Both testified before the grand jury with Montgomery-Ford being granted full immunity, and Ganster receiving limited immunity.
Montgomery-Ford has already filed a federal lawsuit demanding her return to work and unpaid overtime.
A trial date for Davis has not been set.
(Send comments to cmorrow@newpittsbsurghcourier.com)
