State of Maryland

An Investigator II, Department of Human Services is the intermediate level of work investigating the economic crime of welfare fraud against the State of Maryland (Welfare Fraud; False Pretense; False Application, Welfare Perjury).  Employees in this classification are assigned cases of suspected fraud and perform investigations using knowledge of public assistance policy, appropriate law, and investigative techniques to either substantiate the allegation or to exonerate the persons involved.   The investigation work of this classification frequently reveals more fraud than was originally suspected as well as other crimes.  The work of this classification requires contact with local department workers and supervisors, employers, government agencies, relatives, neighbors, landlords, law enforcement personnel, State's Attorneys, and suspects. Employees in this classification must testify at Grand Jury hearings, court trials and prepare applications for criminal charges and arrest warrants. Employees in this classification, upon completion of the investigations, must prepare complete and accurate reports according to standards developed by this Division.  When employees in this classification substantiate that fraud has occurred, reports are submitted to the local State's Attorney and the cases are followed up to their final conclusions.  Employees in this classification are required to prepare daily and case statistical reports.  Employees in this classification do not normally supervise other positions but may give instruction and guidance to other Investigators and clerical personnel.

Employees in this classification receive moderate supervision from a DHS Investigative Supervisor Human Services or other designated agency official.  Employees exercise judgment and resourcefulness since the work requires field investigation which is done independently. Work performance is evaluated through written reports and conferences in terms of amount of cases completed, their quality and timeliness. Employees do not have normal law enforcement powers of arrest.  If a dangerous situation is anticipated, police are requested as escorts.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology. The use of this method involves comparing assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria defined in the Nature of Work and Example of Work sections of the class specification.

The Investigator I, Human Services, Investigator II, Human Services and Investigator III, Human Services are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Investigator I, Human Services learns to perform duties under close supervision.  The Investigator II, Human Services performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.in that the Investigator III, Human Services performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision. 

Receives assigned cases of suspected public assistance and food stamp fraud perpetrated by applicants, recipients, employees, or others;

Plans and organizes the investigation upon review of the suspected fraud case;

Conducts field investigations and interviews all parties involved in the suspected fraud as well as employers, neighbors, landlords and others for the purpose of gathering substantial and legally sufficient evidence to support the allegation of fraud or to exonerate the persons involved;

Performs investigative techniques, such as surveillance, in a manner that will not infringe on the constitutional rights of any individual;

Requests the issuance of a subpoena for information, applies for a criminal summons or an arrest warrant where appropriate;

Serves, if requested by the Court, the subpoena or criminal summons; and accompanies the arresting officer if an arrest warrant is issued and presence is requested;

Prepares a report on each case assigned for investigation whether or not fraud is substantiated;

Completes the daily activity reports and statistical information forms as are necessary; follows up on those cases referred to State's Attorneys;

Requests overpayment (amount of fraud) reports from local departments of social services when fraud is substantiated;

Attends formal training classes on public assistance and food stamp policy, investigative techniques, and criminal law;

Confers with State's Attorneys, law enforcement personnel, local departments of social services workers, supervisors, directors, defense attorneys, commissioners and judges in the conduct of an investigation and on the evidence developed;

Testifies at Grand Jury hearings, preliminary hearings and court trials as required on an assigned investigation;

Instructs and gives guidance to other investigators, local workers, out of State investigators on both public assistance and investigative matters;

Perform special assignments such as Interstate Project Match and other intro-state match projects when requested by the supervisor;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of investigative techniques;

Knowledge of sources of information;

Knowledge of interviewing methods;

Knowledge of criminal laws related to welfare fraud;

Knowledge of constitutional safeguards on evidence gathering, search, and the civil rights of a suspect;

Ability to understand public assistance, food stamp, and medicaid policies and procedures;

Ability to organize an investigation from beginning to end;

Ability to maintain control of several investigations concurrently;

Ability to deal with all levels of individuals in a proper manner;

Ability to communicate effectively;

Ability to prepare complete and accurate reports;

Ability to analyze evidence;

Ability to maintain the confidential nature of information received;

Ability to act in a professional manner at all times especially under adverse conditions.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: Two years of experience in income maintenance investigation or income maintenance eligibility determination.

                                                                                OR

Three years of experience in claims, credit, or administrative investigative work, law enforcement or licensed detective work, involving investigations.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute education at an accredited college or university at the rate of 30 credit hours for up to one year of the required experience.

2. Candidates using licensed private detective for all or part of the required experience must list the license number and date of issue on the application.

3. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in General Investigation classifications or General Investigation specialty codes in the Inspection, Investigation, Enforcement and Compliance field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

1. Employees in this classification may be required to own and operate an automobile. Standard mileage allowance will be paid.

2. Employees in this classification may be required to work variable hours.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit B- Administrative, Technical and Clerical classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.   An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.