The audit of Wackenhut Corp. found numerous discrepancies between attendance records and substantiating documents like log books and activity reports over a three-year period, the county said.
It appeared Wackenhut did not have sufficient personnel to fully staff all posts, but it still billed the agency as though security officers "were on duty when, in fact, they were not," Miami-Dade manager George Burgess said in memo to county leaders.
Law enforcement officials have been notified of the findings and are investigating whether any criminal wrongdoing took place, Burgess said.
Wackenhut has disputed the way the county calculated the figures.
"We believe this is completely erroneous," said spokesman Bruce Rubin. He said the audit's extrapolation of billing and payroll data "defies logic."
"This is a classic example of when you start with a false pretense, you end with a false conclusion," Rubin said. Wackenhut plans to work with auditor Cathy Jackson and show her documents she may not have seen, he added.
The county has given Wackenhut 90 days to respond to the findings and repay the sum, otherwise their contact could be canceled. The company has held the transit contract since 1989; the most recent contract extension was worth up to $17 million per year.
It's the latest trouble for the Palm Beach Gardens company. Wackenhut lost its contract protecting 10 nuclear power plants after guards at one facility were caught napping late last year.
