Consultant For Local City Takes The Money And Runs
Consultant for City of Scribner facing theft charge
By Melanie Brandert.
SCRIBNER — A computer consultant for the City of Scribner will have a preliminary hearing on a felony theft charge on Dec. 15 in Dodge County Court in Fremont.
Merlyn "Lee" Cavner Jr., 55, of Scribner was arrested Sept. 21 on a warrant, according to court records.
Cavner is accused of overbilling for services and providing the city with less expensive computer equipment than reported.
He also consulted on network wiring for the new Furstenau Municipal Building.
"The City of Scribner has suffered a loss on these transactions for approximately $4,500 to $5,000," said Jeremy Willis, Scribner assistant police chief, in an arrest warrant affidavit.
The city paid Cavner $7,425 to acquire an HP Laserjet printer/scanner/copier/fax machine, HP workstation server and ASUS desktop computer between Oct. 27, 2015, and April 15, 2016, and $1,900 for an on-site setup fee, Willis said.
Cavner requested payment up front and received $7,690 from the city, Willis said.
On Sept. 13, a Scribner city clerk looked at the printer's description on the invoice and learned that Cavner delivered and installed an HP printer worth $439 on amazon.com, Willis said. The clerk also found the city received a different HP server with an estimated value of $700 to $1,200 online at many stores. The clerk's computer was a different model than specified that was worth $600.
Scribner Mayor Ken Thomas declined to comment on the case Monday night.
Cavner posted 10 percent of $10,000 bond on Sept. 23 at a bond hearing, according to court records.