By Danny Fenster
ticklethewire.com
Deputy U.S. Marshal Peter F. Rouse figured being a public servant had its benefits. Problem was, it didn’t have all the benefits he apparently thought it should.
Rouse, 37, of Reisterstown, Md., pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Md., to charges that he used his government-issued fleet credit card, reserved for gas and maintenance on his government owned vehicle — 2004 Ford Crown Victoria sedan–to fill up his personal vehicle. The government pegged at $4,000 and $8,300.
The Marshals Service received information in the summer of 2010 that Rouse had been using his fleet charge card for personal use. An audit found that Rouse’s charges were “significantly higher” than other U.S. Marshals, according to a press release, occurring “on weekends, holidays, after duty hours, on successive days, while on annual leave, and in quantities exceeding the capacity of the fuel tank in his GOV.”
Videotapes viewed by investigators showed Rouse filling his Ford F150 pickup truck at Maryland and Virginia locations with his fleet card on dates Rouse claimed sick leave and when he was off duty. They also used to GPS tracking devices to show that his government car was not at the gas station at times the card was being used.
Rouse faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. Sentencing is set for Jan. 4. Rouse resigned as part of the plea agreement.
