The director of Caltrans has ordered a state audit of expenditures tied to the protection of the agency’s work crews by California Highway Patrol units after a CHP investigation uncovered evidence of fraudulent overtime among its officers.

The agency is looking to identify potential malfeasance and to potentially discipline any officials involved in misconduct in which the CHP said some officers in its East Los Angeles station exaggerated the number of hours they worked in protection details for Caltrans workers.

Director Laurie Berman on Monday announced the audit, which will be conducted by the agency’s inspector general. It comes days after the CHP revealed that dozens of officers and supervisors have been temporarily relieved of duty while the department investigates an alleged massive overtime scheme involving officers getting paid for hours they did not work.

Calling it fraud, CHP Commissioner Warren Stanley and top officials said Friday they uncovered at least $360,000 in fake overtime and provided the evidence to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office for potential criminal prosecution.

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