News Summary
Harrell Sukhram, a former city employee in Tallahassee, has been sentenced to one day in jail for embezzling over $28,000. A 20-year veteran of the city, Sukhram manipulated payroll systems to overpay himself. He faces probation and must repay the stolen funds. This case emphasizes the need for better oversight in municipal payroll systems to prevent similar fraud.
TALLAHASSEE – Harrell Sukhram, a former city employee in Tallahassee, has received a one-day jail sentence after being found guilty of embezzling over $28,000 from the city. The 69-year-old’s actions were discovered during an investigation that revealed he had overpaid himself through manipulation of city payroll systems.
Sukhram faced 39 felony charges, which included organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, and various offenses against computer systems. In April, he entered a plea of nolo contendere, a legal term meaning he did not admit guilt but accepted the consequences as if he were guilty. Along with his brief jail time, Sukhram has been sentenced to one day of administrative probation and is required to repay the exact amount of $28,634.80 to the City of Tallahassee in unauthorized overpayments.
In his role as an Enterprise Resource Planning Developer, Sukhram worked for the City of Tallahassee for 20 years. His responsibilities included managing essential human resource programs. However, in the months leading up to the embezzlement, Sukhram exhibited signs of dissatisfaction with his salary when he resigned, citing a 3% raise while another employee received a seemingly more favorable 10% raise. In an effort to retain him, the city granted Sukhram a retroactive 10% raise, bringing his annual salary to $94,891.
The fraudulent activities came to light during a 2021 investigation when Sukhram suggested that “a bug in the system” caused erroneous overpayments for additional hours worked. Despite this explanation, the investigation unearthed substantial evidence that he had actively manipulated payroll files. Detectives noted 10 instances in which he had altered files or created what was termed “ghost files” that allowed for these unauthorized payments.
Notably, out of the 10 manipulated profiles, nine involved the real data of fellow city employees, some of whom were deceased or included Sukhram’s supervisor. The discrepancies in payroll were prominently visible only in Sukhram’s account, leading to administrative leave without pay once the issues were flagged. He had been benefitting from these changes for about two years prior to detection in December 2022.
Following his embezzlement activities coming to the fore, Sukhram surrendered to authorities in May 2023. The brief jail sentence and probation signal the legal system’s response to the financial misconduct that compromised the city’s resources. The requirement for him to pay back the embezzled funds aims to restore some level of accountability and financial integrity for the City of Tallahassee.
Sukhram’s case illustrates significant concerns regarding safeguarding against internal fraud in municipal systems, underscoring the importance of strict oversight and auditing of employee compensation in governmental roles. This incident has raised discussions on how organizations can improve their policies to prevent future occurrences of similar fraudulent activities.
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Additional Resources
- Tallahassee.com: Former Tallahassee Employee Gets One Day in Jail
- Wikipedia: Fraud
- WALB: Tallahassee Man Sentenced for Fraud
- Google Search: City of Tallahassee fraud
- WJHG: Eight Arrested in DMV Fraud Scheme
- Google Scholar: Municipal Fraud Prevention
- Miami Herald: Florida News
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Fraudulent Activities
- NBC News: Andrew Gillum Faces Indictment
- Google News: Financial Misconduct Tallahassee
- My Panhandle: Panama City Man Accused of Theft
Author: STAFF HERE TALLAHASSEE WRITER
The TALLAHASSEE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERETallahassee.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Tallahassee, Leon County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Springtime Tallahassee, Tallahassee Jazz & Blues Festival, and LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and United Way of the Big Bend, plus leading businesses in education, healthcare, and insurance that power the local economy such as Florida State University, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, and Capital Health Plan. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREJacksonville.com, HEREOrlando.com, HEREStPetersburg.com, and HERETampa.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Florida's dynamic landscape.
