RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- A now-former supervisor with Richmond's Department of Public Utilities (DPU) stole nearly $18,000 worth of wire spools from the city over the course of several months and sold them for a fraction of their cost, per a new report from the city's Office of the Inspector General (OIG). In late September, Richmond OIG published a report on its investigation into the criminal conduct of then-DPU power line specialist supervisor John LaBossiere, which it initially launched on Oct. 24, 2024. According to the report, Richmond OIG was asked to look into claims that LaBossiere had abused his authority, wasted government resources and intentionally defrauded the city by taking copper and aluminum wire from a Traffic Streetlight Division utility vehicle before his scheduled shifts and selling it for cash. PREVIOUS: Former Richmond DPU employee allegedly stole and misused public funds In total, Richmond OIG learned LaBossiere had sold all of this illegally-obtained wire for $5,231.41. However, the actual value of the wire was reportedly $17,689.33 -- more than three times what LaBossiere earned through his scheme. How did LaBossiere carry out this fraud? DPU staff told Richmond OIG investigators that LaBossiere would park at a specific location at the DPU "several days a week" an hour before his assigned shift and, once day-shift employees and supervisors began leaving for the day, he would enter the shop, take vehicle keys and head to the back lot without authorization. He would then remove both aluminum and copper wire from utility trucks and place it in his personal vehicle. Richmond OIG investigators were able to track down a Richmond recycling shop where LaBossiere sold some of this wire. The shop's owner confirmed LaBossiere had been a customer there and provided security camera stills of LaBossiere selling various amounts of wire, the report states. For two days, investigators followed LaBossiere and witnessed him stealing wire as described above. They also witnessed him going to the recycling shop to offload the wire. Over that two-day period, LaBossiere sold a total of 195 pounds of wire and pocketed about $112.80, according to the report. This wire was later seized by Richmond OIG. On Oct. 30, 2024, Richmond OIG investigators witnessed LaBossiere taking various spools of wire from a utility truck for a third time. Once he finished loading them into his personal vehicle, investigators stopped him and took him into DPU Headquarters, where they interviewed him. According to the report, LaBossiere admitted to committing these crimes over the course of about six months. He told investigators he had sold the wire at both the Richmond recycling shop and a second facility in Fredericksburg. LaBossiere was charged with both grand larceny and misuse of public assets. He later took a plea agreement and paid restitution to the city. Investigators say DPU 'vulnerabilities' allowed this to happen Richmond OIG found "vulnerabilities" in how the DPU stores copper and aluminum wire, as well as other high-value materials, the report states. "These materials were easily accessible and vehicle keys were also accessible without sufficient oversight," Richmond OIG said. In response to these findings, the DPU has "implemented corrective measures to strengthen facility security," including storing materials behind a locked lot gate. Oversight of both materials and vehicle keys was also increased. ...read more read less