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UA student-tutor arrested for fraud

A UA student tutor was arrested last week after an audit discovered that he was paid more than $3,700 for tutoring he never did, UAPD reports stated.

Shaun Floto, 19, worked as a tutor for Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques from September 1998 until his recent dismissal.

The SALT Center for Learning Disabilities reported the payroll discrepancy Nov. 4 after it was discovered that Floto was forging students' signatures on his time sheets.

Floto, of the 1900 block of North First Avenue, told police he had been "sloppy" with his time sheets toward the end of his service with SALT and hadn't been documenting them properly, University of Arizona police reports stated.

UAPD Det. Jose Sprigg sent Floto an e-mail to set up a meeting about the allegations, and on Thursday, Floto went to the UAPD station, 1200 E. Lowell St., reports stated.

He also told the detective he forged students' names on occasion, reports stated.

"He has made some admissions," said Sprigg, who is in charge of the investigation.

They discussed the process of filling out time sheets, and Floto admitted that he had signed a student's name to his time sheet without tutoring him, reports stated.

The officer asked Floto about specific instances and showed him photocopies of his alleged forgeries. Floto then admitted to the forgeries, reports stated.

The audit stated that there may have been more forgeries than the $3,745.10, but they weren't included in the figure because they couldn't be proven, reports stated.

Floto was cited on suspicion of forgery, fraud schemes and theft of more than $1,500 and booked into Pima County Jail on Nov. 18.

Sprigg said fraud is a crime that has developed on campus more in recent years.

"In fraud cases where there's extensive documentation, the fraud is usually discovered by co-workers," said Sprigg, the department's fraud investigator. "It is still an active case."

Sprigg said because the case is a felony, the Pima County Attorney's Office must set an issuing appointment for Floto.

S.A.L.T. Director Diane Perriera said Monday she was not able to comment on the incident.

"I plan on following the recommendation of the university," she said.