Metro-North worker accused of 'intimate' encounter; other accused of gambling while on sick leave
A Metro-North commuter train travels along a rail corridor on Park Avenue. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - A worker for Metro-North Railroad is accused of having 'intimate' encounters with a woman on MTA property while another worker is accused of abusing sick time.
MTA Inspector General Carolyn Pokorny announced Monday that the Office of the Inspector General had discovered that the machinist brought a woman onto private MNR property multiple times, including once for an intimate meeting, during his overtime shift.
Investigators used GPS records and surveilled the employee, said Pokorny.
The machinist also took lunch breaks stretching to over two hours – as well as misused his MTA vehicle for personal use, both frequently for visits with the woman. The woman also entered an area deemed a safety risk with her vehicle.
The machinist has since resigned.
According to a report, investigators uncovered that a New York City Transit employee abused the Family Medical Leave Act and MTA-sanctioned sick time to gamble in an Atlantic City casino.
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Investigators checked casino records and found that the NYC Transit Traffic Checker stayed overnight at a casino on multiple occasions over two years despite being on medical leave.
"All bets are off for these unscrupulous former MTA employees," said MTA Inspector General Carolyn Pokorny. "Intentionally falsifying time sheets is stealing and can result in termination – whether it is using sick/medical leave to gamble in Atlantic City or using overtime for an intimate rendezvous or 2+ hour lunches. New York's taxpayers and riders should not have to ante up for such bad behavior."
The MTA Inspector General said it encourages all members of the public to reach out with complaints, tips, or to report fraud via the Office’s confidential tip reporting portals: Online (https://mtaig.state.ny.us/Pages/ComplaintForm.aspx), Phone 1-800-MTA-IG4U (1-800-682-4448) or Email (Complaints@mtaig.org).