Subject:
Title
Proposed initiation of litigation in the case of Pinellas County v. Robert Jones - action to recover public money.
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Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approval and authorization for the County Attorney to initiate litigation against Robert Jones.
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Strategic Priorities:
N/A
Summary:
Summary
Request is sought to initiate litigation against a former employee under the County Administrator to recover the payment of unearned wages.
This action is the result of investigations conducted by the Inspector General (IG) and Public Works. The conclusions of the Inspector General were documented in Report Number 2026-12, following its investigation which substantiated claims that Robert Jones, former Operations Manager in the Stormwater Management Division of Public Works, worked excessive overtime without proper authorization. The IG investigation and Public Works’ internal follow-up investigation determined that while employed by Pinellas County as an Operations Manager in the Stormwater Management Division of Public Works, Mr. Jones, a classified-excluded employee within the Unified Personnel System, submitted timecards which included time for which he did not perform work for the County. This resulted in an overpayment of wages, including unearned overtime, of approximately $16,000.00.
Staff was unsuccessful in their attempt to recoup this money.
This authorization includes bringing suit against all defendants for all claims that are or may become necessary to fully litigate this action.
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Background Information:
IG Report No. 2026-12 previously appeared before the Board on June 16, 2026, under Legistar File 26-0921A.
Fiscal Impact:
Unknown.
Staff Member Responsible:
Jewel White, County Attorney
Christy Donovan Pemberton, Managing Assistant County Attorney
Partners:
Public Works
Attachments:
N/A