City auditor: Ex-employee at Austin library stole $1.3 million in printer toner

A former Austin Public Library employee is facing a pending criminal case after authorities alleged that he fraudulently bought and stole at least $1.3 million in printer toner and resold it online.

Randall Nelson Whited is charged with theft, a first-degree felony because the amount he allegedly took is more than $200,000. A background search shows Whited, who turns 54 this month, has been arrested multiple times on theft charges dating back to the mid 1980s.

"We are looking into the allegations and we will be working with the district attorney's office to resolve the matter,“ Whited’s attorney, Bill Hines, said.

The theft was uncovered by the city’s auditor office, which determined Whited also misused a library credit card to buy electronics and home goods. The findings were referred to the Austin Police Department.

The auditor’s office released a report Monday morning stating that poor oversight from library management allowed the stealing to go unnoticed.

“The library’s poor practices and procedures provided an opportunity for Whited to steal from the city during his tenure, leading to waste and overspending by the department,” according to the report. “Whited took advantage of poor purchasing reviews by his supervisors, former Financial Manager Victoria Rieger and Contract Management Specialist Monica McClure. Whited also took advantage of several other purchasing and budget-related shortcomings, such as having a role in the approval of his own purchases and insufficient oversight of the Library’s budget by Rieger and Assistant Director Dana McBee.”

As an accounting associate, Whited was responsible for making and approving purchases, cash receipts, billing, and other accounting transactions, the report states.

Whited resigned in lieu of termination in August 2019 for an unrelated issue, the auditor’s office said.

Because of previous theft convictions, the court could treat Whited as a habitual offender and increase his minimum sentence to 25 years in prison.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.