Frisky enterprise: Newest MTA additional time abusers caught having intercourse and putting bets in Atlantic Metropolis on the job
The MTA’s overtime abuse scandal has taken a nefarious turn recently when the agency’s watchdog released a report alleging that a Metro-North employee sneaked a woman onto a railroad property for “kissing and intimate contact” while a New York City Transit employee abused the family’s Medical Leave Act for gambling in Atlantic City.
The two have since been fired following an investigation by the office of MTA Inspector General Carolyn Pokorny.
“All bets are void on these unscrupulous former MTA employees,” said Pokorny. “Deliberately forging timesheets steals and can result in termination, whether in Atlantic City sick / medical vacation is used for gaming or overtime for an intimate rendezvous or a 2-hour lunch break. New York taxpayers and drivers shouldn’t have to expect such bad behavior. “
Not only did the Metro-North machinist breach overtime and take a friend to work, but he was also accused of abusing an MTA vehicle dozens of times and taking lunch breaks of more than two hours. The OIG recommended that the MTA punish the man at its own discretion, but his supervisor should also be told how best to monitor the vehicle logs.
“Metro-North has no tolerance for time theft or the use of resources for personal use,” said MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan of the Metro-North case. “This employee was suspended without pay and subsequently resigned. We are currently exploring ways to improve accountability.”
The surveillance footage showed the machinist who enabled the woman to bring her Pathfinder to Metro North Harmon East Yard. Maintaining the Way Storage Facility on Senasqua Road in Croton on Harmon, where only authorized vehicles and personnel are allowed multiple times in 2020.
The OIG also recommended that the New York City Transit traffic controller, who had spent his family vacations and sick days gambling in Atlantic City, be forced to repay the payments that appeared to be fraudulently received.
His plan had been going on since 2017 when he took temporary leave through the FMLA claiming that a serious health condition prevented him from performing his duties. For at least part of the 70 days the employee took time off under the guise of health concerns, OIG records at the Tropicana Resort and Casino determined that the man may not be as sick as he suspected.
“That employee wasn’t just playing in a casino when he called sick,” said Shams Tarek, NYC Transit spokesman. “He played with his job. This was a clear violation of public trust. So we acted quickly when we found out about it and it was terminated through our complaints and arbitration process. “
The traffic inspector told the OIG office that he was taking medication that intermittently caused gastrointestinal attacks for two to three hours and that his condition was not explained.
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