Milwaukee COVID 'contact tracing' temp stole $10K+ from city: complaint
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MILWAUKEE - Keyonna Selkridge, 37, of Milwaukee, is accused of stealing more than $10,000 from the city, continuing to report hours worked as a temporary COVID "contact tracer" during the pandemic after she was let go.
According to a criminal complaint, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the Milwaukee Health Department hired in excess of 300 temporary employees as "COVID tracers." Selkridge was hired in this capacity.
According to prosecutors, Selkridge was assigned 111 contact tracing cases, and an audit of the database she was to use showed that she viewed/opened only 15 of those assignments to edit/add contact tracing information. It was determined she last viewed or opened a case on Jan. 15, 2021, meaning any pay after this point would have been for work that was not done and a result of "false reporting" by Selkridge.
The complaint also references emails between Selkridge and her supervisor in February 2021 regarding her caseload and a phone conference that never occurred. According to the complaint, the supervisor "assumed (she) was no longer performing her duties and stopped assigning her cases."
Prosecutors said there was no other contact between Selkridge and supervisors until June 2021 when she was notified that her temporary appointment would be ending at the end of the month. She was given an "exit checklist" and required to return equipment. The complaint says she failed to return a city-issued cellphone.
According to prosecutors, after this point, Selkridge continued submitting hours worked "despite the email terminating her employment and the fact that she was receiving no new work."
Around Labor Day 2021, prosecutors say Selkridge reported 3.5 hours worked on the holiday, and the complaint says she was questioned about that and asked to provide the name of her supervisor(s) because her name was not found "on the current list of case managers." After that, she filed no additional time cards, and it was discovered that her employment had actually been terminated in June 2021.
She's alleged to have stolen more than $10,000 from the city in pay for work that was not performed.
Online court records show a warrant was issued for Selkridge's arrest on June 6.