The Rio Arriba County Emergency Response Office faces a state audit after it failed to locate dozens of radios and other communication equipment purchased in 2004 and 2005, County Emergency Response Manager Mateo DeVargas said.
State Homeland Security Department auditors are demanding to know where equipment the County purchased with Department grants went during the tenure of former County emergency manager Dwayne Merritt, DeVargas said.
A County document puts the price tag for the missing communications equipment at $47,267. The tally of missing equipment had been $112,504 until Tuesday morning, when DeVargas confirmed that the Sheriff’s Department has $65,237 worth of car-mounted radio repeaters.
Also missing is documentation of what services Albuquerque firm ABBA Tech performed for the County. ABBA Tech was paid $6,951 out of Department grant money, according to a County document.
ABBA Tech provides information technology consulting services to government agencies. ABBA Tech officials did not return calls for comment Monday.
“I have no idea what that was for,” DeVargas said. “I have no idea where the paperwork (on the equipment) went either. I’m calling contractors to ask for any information they might have on who signed for these things. Equipment was not properly tagged. Merritt never matched serial numbers (on equipment) to who has it.”
Merritt resigned from his Rio Arriba post last fall after questions were raised about these purchases. He is now the Torrance County Emergency manager. He did not return calls for comment.
“I spoke to Merritt Feb. 27 by phone and he seemed sincere (about helping locate the missing equipment),” DeVargas said. “I asked him to meet me March 2 in Albuquerque. But he never showed up. I e-mailed him after that but he has yet to respond. The (Department) has tried calling him too (without success).”
The matter has not been turned over to law enforcement for investigation.
“I called the Torrance County manager and told her we need this guy (Merritt) to cooperate,” County Assistant Manager Tomas Campos said. “I don’t know what the penalty will be (if we can’t locate the equipment). I don’t know if the Department would continue reimbursing us or if we’ll have to eat those costs.”
DeVargas plans to ask Department officials for a 30-day extension Thursday (3/12) to look for any equipment that is still missing. Department officials did not return a call for comment.