A picture posted on Facebook was the clue Baltimore County’s inspector general needed to break a case of swiped asphalt from the county highway department.

A report released Wednesday found that a county highway employee, with help from co-workers including his boss, likely took the asphalt from work to improve his own driveway.

Inspector General Kelly Madigan’s office had GPS records that put highway department vehicles at the employee’s home on consecutive days.

“That doesn’t necessarily prove that it happened,” Madigan said.

Also, purchase orders show that additional asphalt was ordered.

Then came what Madigan calls the “aha moment,” when they found photos posted on Facebook by the employee’s spouse.

Madigan said, “We saw some pretty compelling evidence in one of the Facebook photos that happened a mere couple of days after the dates that we had identified.”

Madigan said it shows fresh asphalt, including a barrier to keep people from walking on it.

Madigan said the apparent theft and paving happened in May of 2020.

“It’s during COVID,” Madigan said. “It’s around Memorial Day weekend. The timing kind of makes sense because you kind of have to have motive, opportunity and method.”

The county is considering disciplinary action and says it will refer the case to the state’s attorney to see if the employees — who have denied the stealing — should be criminally charged.

County Administrative Officer D’Andrea Walker said in a response to Madigan’s report that it will follow a recommendation from the inspector general to require asphalt use be tracked.

Madigan said the case should send a message to employees who are considering stealing from the county, adding “Maybe your supervisor’s not watching but the office of the inspector general is watching.”