PETERSBURG, Va (WTVR) - Masood Nourbakhsh was hired as the Information Technology Manager for the City of Petersburg, a newly created position.
For the city, it's a chance to coordinate and manage technology city-wide and bring in someone well versed in doing just that.
It's a position Noubakhsh held in Prince William County, until 2009 when he resigned.
The Washington Post reportedthat three people who worked for him, were charged in an elaborate embezzlement scheme, ultimately tried and convicted.
The newspaper also reportedNourbakhsh was never implicated but because he was the department head and it fell on his watch, he resigned his position.
Petersburg City Manager William Johnson says a four member panel put Nourbakhsh at the top of their list even after his resignation was revealed to them.
"He was not implicated, it happened under his watch. After talking with him, talking to the references, I still felt it was a good hire," said City Manager William Johnson.
Johnson believes like others who were closely involved in the case, that Nourbakhsh "relied very heavily on staff, had entrusted his staff to do the work. They wanted to be very creative and take advantage of the system."
And most importantly Johnson says he learned a lesson from what happened and Petersburg has the checks and balances in place so that something similar can't happen.
Nourbakhsh started Aug. 6.
