The Office of the Inspector General (“OIG”), Office of Investigations (“OI”) received information that an Amtrak station clerk received tuition assistance from Amtrak to attend college while on a Medical Leave of Absence. The station clerk graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a degree in Engineering and gained employment with a defense contractor in Phoenix all while on leave medical leave from Amtrak.
The United States Marshal’s Service requested assistance in obtaining Amtrak ticketing documentation relative to an Amtrak passenger who was a defendant in an International child abuse prosecution. This information was needed to determine the whereabouts of the individual during certain time frames. The individual was convicted of Child Exploitation and received a thirty year prison sentence.
A source reported that an Amtrak passenger was traveling by using a non-active credit card over an 18 month period for $2,565 in lost revenue to Amtrak. Agents substantiated this allegation through review of documents and interviews.
A cooperating witness reported that an Amtrak contractor received more than $72,000 worth of Amtrak credits to his personal credit cards. Agents substantiated this allegation through review of documents and interviews.
A source reported that an Amtrak ticket agent may be stealing cash from within the Minneapolis St. Paul ticket office. Agents substantiated this allegation through review of documents and interviews.
An Amtrak employee reported a possible misuse of credit cards to steal funds from the Amtrak Manual Credit Card System (MCCS). An investigation discovered that an Amtrak employee, who worked with the MCCS account, had used the account to steal over $154,000 from Amtrak by crediting their personal credit cards.
A source reported that unauthorized fuel purchases were being made by an Amtrak employee with a Wright Express credit card. Agents substantiated this allegation through review of documents and interviews.
A confidential source alleged that a Southampton Maintenance Facility employee was being paid for overtime not worked. Through review of company records and interviews, OIG substantiated that on nine occasions when the employee claimed to be at work at the facility, the employee was elsewhere in the Boston area.
A source reported that several GSA fuel credit cards were stolen from Amtrak property and were being used to make unauthorized fuel purchases. Surveillance of the gas stations where fuel purchases were being made with the stolen credit cards, revealed that the cards were being used by an associate of a former Amtrak Mechanic.
The Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) Office of Investigations, in conjunction with Amtrak’s Health Services Department, conducted a proactive initiative involving employees on Medical Leave of Absence (“MLOA”). The initiative was designed to identify those employees who were abusing the MLOA process.