TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Two Quincy brothers are behind bars in Tallahassee after an investigation revealed they were forging work orders and getting paid thousands of dollars for work they didn't do.
Tavarous, 23, and Nathaniel, 26, Livingston are both accused of stealing unearned wages from their place of employment.
According to a complaint documents, Tallahassee Police officers were called to Action Labor of Florida at 438 FAMU Way on May 7 about a fraud case.
When officers spoke to the general manager there, he told them that two laborers, Tavarous and Nathaniel Livingston, had been forging work orders and getting paid for work they didn't do.
The general manager said that workers are given work orders that they then take to the job site. At the end of the day, the on-site supervisor documents the number of hours the individual worked then signs the work order so the worker can get paid.
It was discovered that the brothers had been forging work orders after Capital Asphalt reported some inconsistencies between their records and Action Labor's.
Upon further research, the general manager told police he discovered that more than 60 forged work orders were submitted between December 2017 and April 2018.
Police spoke with the on-site supervisor whose signature was on most of the forged work orders. Out of the legible forms, the on-site supervisor only identified two of them as having his legitimate signature.
An investigation determined Tavarous Livingston's name was listed on 46 fraudulent work orders totaling $11,384.17 while Nathaniel was listed on 12 totaling $1,832.93.
When investigators spoke to Nathaniel, who was incarcerated at the Leon County Detention Center at the time, they wrote in their report that "he seemed genuinely surprised that he was accused of taking [the money]. He also appeared shocked that Tavarous had allegedly taken nearly $13,000."
However, Nathaniel denied forging the documents telling police, "I don't need to forge a check because, if I needed a couple dollars, I'll work."
Documents say Nathaniel eventually confessed that Tavarous would occasionally give him money, which he accepted without asking any questions about where it came from.
He said that he was only aware of "three or four" fraudulent invoices that he didn't create, but was paid $300 and $400 for. Nathaniel denied knowing about the additional money reported in the forged work orders.
On July 10, officers spoke with Tavarous on the phone who said he would come to the department on July 16. However, he never showed up and never returned any follow up calls.
Based on the investigation, Tavarous and Nathaniel Livingston were charged with grand theft. Additionally, Tavarous was charged with 46 counts of uttering forged instruments.
Both brothers, as of Friday, remain in jail.
