Former Tennessee director of football operations pleads guilty to official misconduct
By Kevin Duffey
Published:
Former Tennessee director of football operations, Chris Spognardi, pled guilty to official misconduct Thursday, according to a release by Tennessee Comptroller Justin P. Wilson.
Spognardi was fired on December 12 2016, and now, we know why.
The release stated that Spognardi altered or fabricated documents for at least $14,085 in athletic funds from September 2015 through January 2016.
As part of his role, Spognardi was in charge of handling cash advances from the athletic department for team travel expenses. The expenses included per diem payments, meal costs, and various cash tips. Spognardi allegedly submitted at least 18 different tip sheets claiming to have given cash tips to individuals and vendors.
“This investigation involved thousands of dollars of cash advances,” said Comptroller Justin P. Wilson in a news release. “Using cash for travel expenses increases the possibility of errors and irregularities. It also places employees at risk of theft or robbery. I’m pleased to note the University of Tennessee has taken steps to address this problem.”
An audit tipped off the university to the misconduct.
A graduate of the University of Florida and founder of Saturday Down South, Kevin is a college football enthusiast.
