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Felony charge for former Austin Convention Center Director Hodge

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Robert Hodge, former director of the Austin Convention Center in Texas, says he changed customer evaluation scores on surveys in order to boost employee morale. But, the grand jury says that 16 instances of tampering between 2005 and 2007 were done with an intent to defraud. Hodge was indicted on felony charges of tampering with a government record on Dec. 21; if convicted he could serve up to 2 years in jail and be fined up to $10,000.

The surveys were used to determine annual bonuses for Hodge and nearly 200 other department employees, who were rewarded for maintaining a high customer service rating. In 2006, nearly $416,000 was distributed, with an average bonus amount of $1,990; Hodge’s bonus that year was $9,600. A city review showed the department would have qualified for the bonuses anyway.

Source: The American-Statesman