A former employee of Alexandria’s Dept. of Transportation and Environmental Services has been charged with embezzling from the city.

In a press release Thursday afternoon, police said the employee sold more than $10,000 worth of electrical cable owned by T&ES to scrap dealers.

The alleged embezzlement happened between January and July of last year. The employee was fired at the end of July and now faces felony charges.

More from an APD press release:

Arrian B. Mercer, a former traffic technician for the City of Alexandria, was arrested by Alexandria police officers on January 17 and charged with felony embezzlement of public property.

The City’s Department of Transportation and Environmental Services identified suspicious activity and notified the City Manager’s Office, which in turn directed the Police Department to conduct a criminal investigation and the Office of Internal Audit to conduct an internal investigation. These investigations determined that between January and July 2019, Mr. Mercer allegedly sold more than $10,000 worth of traffic signal cable to scrap dealers for personal gain. The City terminated Mr. Mercer’s employment on July 31, 2019.

An arrest warrant was obtained in December 2019. Mr. Mercer was arrested once his location could be determined. The City has implemented new procedures to enhance the security of public property, and additional measures are under review.

Photo via Alexandria Police Department/Facebook