A former Northeast regional director for the National Park Service who admitted to submitting fraudulent travel vouchers totaling nearly $18,000 worked out a confidential agreement with the agency that allowed him to stay with the Park Service, albeit in a different role.

Under that agreement, Mike Caldwell is reporting "to the assistant director for Park Planning, Facilities and Lands in a non-supervisory role," Tom Crosson, the Park Service's chief spokesman, said Tuesday evening.

Last December an Office of Inspector General report stated that between 2011 and 2015 Mr. Caldwell rented bigger vehicles than he should have to bring friends on some of his travels, covered lodging costs of personal guests, was reimbursed for mileage "that he never drove," rented an SUV for "an official trip two days before his official business was scheduled to start," and also "spent a day driving the SUV 450 miles out of the way for unofficial purposes."

According to the OIG report, Mr. Caldwell, desiring "nicer" experiences on his travels as regional director, ran up nearly $11,500 in personal travel that he billed the Park Service for, and also collected nearly $6,000 in pay and per diem on some of these travels while not working.

"Caldwell admitted during his interviews that he had taken these trips and that he had knowingly violated federal travel regulations," the report stated. "He said that in doing so he had taken advantage of his official positions, first as a GS-15 deputy regional director and then as a member of the Senior Executive Service. He said he deserved, at minimum, a suspension."

Mr. Crosson could not say Tuesday whether Mr. Caldwell had paid back the $17,500 to the Park Service, citing the confidentiality of the settlement.

 Joshua Laird, commissioner of National Parks of New York Harbor, currently is serving as the acting Regional Director for the Northeast Region.