Former South Jordan fleet manager charged with misusing public funds

SOUTH JORDAN — The former fleet manager for South Jordan was charged Tuesday with misusing public money after allegedly using state-issued fuel cards to purchase nearly $5,300 in gasoline for his personal vehicles.

Jeremy M. Collins, 42, of Herriman, was charged in 3rd District Court following a weeklong joint investigation by South Jordan and Sandy police.

Police say Collins made 129 unauthorized fuel purchases beginning in November 2010, according to the charges. The most recent purchase was made July 17, one day before he was fired by the city.

Video surveillance from that final purchase showed Collins using a state card to fuel his personal vehicle, the charges state. Sandy police said they later recovered five state fuel cards from Collins' desk at work, one from his home and another from his personal vehicle.

During a recent audit of the city's fuel records, South Jordan public works director Jason Rasmussen discovered that several fuel cards used by city employees had been used to purchase fuel for vehicles not in use, city officials and prosecutors said.

Collins admitted to using the cards to unlawfully purchase fuel for his personal vehicle, as well as altering city records to conceal his actions, charging documents state.

Collins is charged with two counts of misusing public money, one second-degree felony and one third-degree felony, as well as falsification or alteration of government records, a class B misdemeanor.

Collins had been employed by South Jordan for 10 years, the past five as a supervisor, city officials said.