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Firefighter makes $12,000 on vacation by faking 3 COVID diagnoses, Dallas officials say

A Dallas firefighter took weeks off from work, vacationed at a water park resort and reaped thousands in paid time off — all while lying his family was sick with COVID-19, Texas officials say.

William Carter, 38, was arrested Friday on a charge of felony theft, accused of lying to his Dallas Fire-Rescue superiors, claiming positive COVID-19 diagnoses in order to get paid time off, WFAA reported.

Carter took advantage of a system put in place during the pandemic that grants Dallas firefighters paid time off, and doesn’t use their sick days, if they catch the virus, the outlet reported.

Officials say Carter requested time off in late March because his spouse tested positive for COVID-19, the Dallas Morning News reported. A week later, Carter asked his deputy chief for more time off because his daughter had contracted it, and he was particularly worried because of medical issues in her past. He was given another week of paid time off.

Several days later, Carter requested even more days off because he had caught it as well, according to the outlet. This time, the deputy chief asked Carter to show him his test results. Carter said he hadn’t been tested, and neither had the rest of his family.

When fire officials pressed Carter on the issue, asking him if he and his family had been sick with COVID, he told them, “I guess not,” WFAA reported. When asked why he lied, Carter said, “Greed, I guess.”

The firefighter was paid $12,548 during his absence, WFAA reported.

Investigators say bank records show Carter visited the Kalahari water park resort in Round Rock, the Morning News reported, spending $1,400 there during the trip.

Carter has been put on paid administrative leave while fire officials carry out an internal investigation, outlets reported.

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