A goo-goo-eyed MTA higher-up flirted with a artful saleswoman, and taxpayers ended up shelling out beaucoup bucks over her jacked-up wares — which included $78 scrub brushes price $8, officers say.
The now-former company employee, Assistant Deputy Chief Procurement Officer Omar Messado, started a questionable personable relationship with the lady, who peddled transit gear, in mid-2023, in accordance with MTA Inspector Normal Daniel Cort’s workplace Tuesday.
The pair met after hours and exchanged lots of of texts — some sexually suggestive — and cellphone calls as their relationship grew, mentioned a report issued by the workplace.
“Hey, you by no means know. You might have a talent I do know nothing about. But it surely could possibly be enjoyable to find,” Messado texted the unidentified lady Aug. 11, 2023.
“Oops, did I say that,” he quipped.
The lady cooed in a textual content to the company employee Sept. 25, 2024, “Don’t know in the event you keep in mind however a day like right now a yr in the past you determined to see this particular person behind the cellphone.
“Ever since then I can’t cease dreaming about you.”
Messado responded, “I really like your phrases.
“Thanks for the reminder. Ever since assembly you, I’ve been splendidly intoxicated.”
When the gross sales agent advised Messado to not overlook to drink his sizzling tea in an Aug. 23, 2023 message. he responded, “Thanks, nurse.”
She added that if his sickness persevered, “Then I’ve a prescription however you may need some negative effects that are regular.”
Messado advised MTA investigators that the pair by no means had a sexual relationship — although he added, “I might’ve appreciated to,’” the report mentioned.
The MTA employee was in the meantime signing off on a slew of contracts involving the lady’s firm — many at prices “nicely above market fee,’’ Cort’s workplace mentioned.
“This procurement officer abused his authority to additional his private relationship with a gross sales agent, despite the fact that his job was to forestall wasteful spending and guarantee a good bidding course of,” Cort mentioned in a press release.
For instance, Messado tried to push a contract to purchase scrub brushes for a staggering $78 apiece that had been being supplied elsewhere for round $8, the report mentioned.
The discrepancy was so out of whack {that a} facility supervisor flagged it, and Metro-North refused to pay for the expensive brushes and located another, the report mentioned.
Messado additionally awarded a bid to the lady’s firm for forklifts that would have been purchased for $67,000 however which her agency as a substitute charged $107,800 a pop.
Then there have been the worker vests that ought to have been priced about $82 every however value $153 from the lady’s firm, the report mentioned.
Messado was accountable for approving 140 of 194 contracts totaling $3.4 million with the corporate.
The saleswoman thanked Messado for dashing up funds to her biz at one level, writing Sept. 14, 2023, “I can not categorical the gratitude I’m feeling at this second.”
He replied, “Gratitude is just not wanted. Your happiness is nice sufficient.’’
She responded, “Your remark simply melted my coronary heart.”
The report mentioned Messado violated quite a few MTA and state battle of curiosity, anti-corruption and ethics guidelines, and the MTA fired him.
“This sort of corrupt habits won’t be tolerated at any stage of the MTA, and particularly not from a senior procurement skilled whose total operate revolves round guaranteeing equity and integrity in our processes and defending public tax {dollars},” mentioned MTA Chief Administrative Officer Lisette Camilo.
Messado couldn’t be reached for remark.
However he advised probers the character of their late-night chats or texts as referring to kids, cooking, and life and that they had been from the identical a part of the world.
He denied exhibiting her favoritism with procurement contracts
