Philly Gun Buyback Program Accused of Misusing Federal Grant Funds

According to audit, employee used money to give himself a pay raise

An audit has charged a Philadelphia gun buyback program, which provided grocery gift cards in exchange for weapons, misused more than $450,000 in grant funds from the federal government.

Philadelphia Safety Net (PSN) received $800,000 in grants from the U.S. Department of Justice to run its "Goods for Guns" program from July 2010 through March 2012. The program would hold events where Philadelphia Police would collect guns and, in return, Philadelphia Safety Net would provide $100 grocery store gift cards.

The DOJ's inspector general audited the program and found 62 percent – or $479,183 – of the grant moneys were used for either "unallowable, unsupported and/or unreasonable" expenses.