FSD Resigns in Wake of Used Equipment eBay Scheme

The foodservice director of Marion County (FL) Public Schools was forced to resign his position after school officials discovered that he had been purchasing used equipment auctioned by the district and reselling it at a profit on eBay, reports the Ocala Business Journal. District officials concede that they found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing but deemed the actions of Chris Van Vliet unethical and a potential conflict of interest.

Van Vliet was warned to cease the activity last May but continued to purchase equipment the district had put up for auction through associates. He then posted them for sale on the eBay online auction site. Some mixers reportedly purchased for between $1,600 and $2,400 were listed for more than $4,000, though it was unclear if they actually sold for that price.

Once the end run around the cease-and-desist warning was discovered, Van Vliet was confronted, and he then resigned. As far as district officials can tell, all of the equipment he had put up for auction was legitimately used or redundant.