Honolulu city supervisor busted in overtime pay scheme

A city supervisor in Honolulu, Hawaii, was sentenced to jail for stealing thousands of dollars in an overtime pay collection scheme, KGMB-TV reports.

Manuel Castro, former head of the Department of Facilities Maintenance's street sweeping unit for more than 30 years, told court officials he collected undeserved overtime pay in an effort to increase his retirement pension.

The plan involved Castro falsely reporting overtime pay, including fraudulent time and attendance logs for himself and other employees, in exchange for financial gains, the news station reported. In all, Castro reportedly collected approximately $20,000 in false claims.

"The defendant was trying to increase the amount of his annual pay so that his retirement paycheck would be calculated on a higher amount of money," Chris Van Marter, deputy prosecutor, told KGMB-TV. Van Marter asked for a 10-year sentence in order to dissuade other city employees from engaging in similar behavior.

In addition to the one-year jail term Castro will serve, he was ordered to pay back the total damages, plus a $25,000 fine.