February 14, 2025
PHILADELPHIA — A former senior executive vice president at a contracting company that oversaw work on Amtrak’s 30th Street Station façade project pleaded guilty February 12 to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Amtrak (the company) contracted with the independent certified public accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP to audit its consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2024, and for the year then ended, and to provide a report on internal control over financial reporting and on compliance and other matters. Because the company receives federal assistance, it must obtain an audit performed in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.
We are initiating a review of the Hudson Tunnel Project, a multibillion dollar effort to construct a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River and rehabilitate the existing North River Tunnel. This project is a key component of the Gateway program to upgrade and replace rail infrastructure between Newark, New Jersey, and New York City. The Gateway Development Commission (GDC) - a public and government sponsored authority created by the states of New York and New Jersey—is the lead sponsor of the project.
May 1, 2024
New Orleans — A former Amtrak employee pleaded guilty April 22, 2024 in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, to making false statements to the Railroad Retirement Board.
April 22, 2024
WASHINGTON – Amtrak can better use the data it already collects to improve the customer experience, according to a report from the Amtrak Office of Inspector General released today.
The OIG identified three opportunities, mostly related to communications, for Amtrak to use its customer feedback data to bolster its overall service improvement efforts.
An Amtrak car inspector based in New York, New York, violated company policies by engaging in outside employment as a bus operator; providing security services at night clubs, lounges, and bars; and working as a bouncer while on a medical leave of absence. The employee was on a medical leave of absence from the company since November 8, 2015, and had not returned to work. On March 6, 2024, after his corporate trial and in accordance with his union agreement, the employee forfeited his seniority and is considered out of service.
David Pugliese, a resident of Palm Beach County, Florida, was sentenced on January 12, 2024, in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, for Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud. Pugliese was sentenced to 30 months in prison, two years’ probation, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,238,699. Pugliese was the manager and registered agent of Capital Advantage Diagnostics, LLC, which was purportedly in the business of performing a variety of laboratory tests for various health care providers.
An Amtrak engineer based in Miami, Florida, signed a waiver of administrative hearing on October 9, 2023, following a year-long investigation into time and attendance abuses by a Miami-based yard crew. By signing the waiver, the employee waived his rights to an administrative hearing and accepted responsibility for the administrative charges against him and understood that future misconduct may result in termination.
December 26, 2023
WASHINGTON — Two individuals were sentenced December 15, 2023, for their roles in a multi-state scheme to defraud health insurance companies, including those used by Amtrak, by using rural hospitals to bill for unnecessary drug testing.