Former National Park Service employee pleads guilty to overtime wage theft

ROME, Ga. - Donny Campbell, a former maintenance department employee at the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds for submitting false overtime entries on his timesheets.

“Federal employees are expected to be responsible stewards of taxpayer money,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “When they abuse that trust, it diminishes public confidence that those dollars are spent appropriately. Federal employees and anyone else who chooses to steal from the public fisc will be held accountable.”

“We are happy to see the results of this case come to fruition,” Katie Balestra, Special Agent in Charge at the Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General, stated. “Our office will continue to investigate these types of cases to ensure government resources are expended appropriately.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Campbell, while working as maintenance staff for the National Park Service, submitted timesheets claiming overtime pay for hundreds of hours that he did not work. The false timesheets spanned a period of January 2017 through June 2019 and caused nearly $40,000 of wrongful payments. As part of his plea agreement, Campbell agreed to resign, never seek any future federal employment, and pay full restitution to the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Campbell, 48, of Ringgold, Georgia, pleaded guilty on October 2, 2025, to theft of government funds. Sentencing is scheduled for January 23, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge John H. Rains IV. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

This case is being investigated by the Department of the Interior - Office of the Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor C. Wilmot prosecuted the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.