Taxpayers received taken for a trip by these LIRR fraudsters.
Three dozen Lengthy Island Rail Highway staff used a pretend ID scheme to ditch work however nonetheless receives a commission — with one bozo boasting he was ingesting margaritas poolside whereas on the clock, a brand new report discovered.
The scathing report from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s watchdog discovered “widespread tradition of fraud and time abuse” within the automotive upkeep division on the LIRR’s Ronkonkoma, Richmond Hill and Manhattan West Aspect services.
“These workers, together with supervisors who ought to have been imposing the foundations, stole numerous hours of paid time,” mentioned MTA Inspector Common Daniel Cort.
“The investigation revealed a widespread lack of ethics and contempt for the timekeeping rules in these LIRR services.”
The investigation didn’t specify the quantity of labor time stolen, however the stories counsel staff skipped out on doubtlessly hundreds of hours of labor — and used the scheme to exploit extra time.
Stunningly, some workers have been accused of possessing machines to make the pretend playing cards, and a few of the cloned playing cards have been truly created in a locker room and inside private vehicles on LIRR property.
Employees offered the coveted cloned playing cards — a lot of which have been stashed in unlocked lockers and even a fridge on LIRR property — for as a lot as $40.00, the report mentioned. One worker carried out work on one other’s automobile in change for a pretend swipe card, in keeping with the IG.
A few of the recognized abusers have amassed the best OT within the LIRR and the whole MTA lately, information present — together with gang foremen Craig Murray and Leonard Espinosa, the Empire Heart reported — and automotive restore staff Martina Eugene and Junior Lambert, in keeping with Newsday.
The workplace of the IG launched its investigation in October 2022 after receiving a grievance that Ronkonkoma gang foreman, known as Gang Foreman #1 within the report, possessed a replica ID card and was not on the property when he was swiped in by one other gang foreman, or supervisor.
Data obtained by The Submit reveal John Cerulli is Gang Foreman #1. He had been implicated in prior MTA IG stories over timekeeping abuses, and he resigned whereas disciplinary motion was pending, the report mentioned.
“Gang Foreman 1 [Cerulli] got here into work on a weekend extra time shift carrying a rash guard/swim shirt, swim shorts, and flip flops, and introduced to the [workers], ‘Don’t hassle on the lookout for me. I’ll be subsequent to my pool with a margarita,’” a fellow supervisor advised the IG, in keeping with paperwork.
“In the event you want me for one thing, name me,’” Cerulli is quoted saying.
Cerulli would swipe in, give out the lineup, and go away work, the report mentioned.
Cerulli couldn’t be reached for remark.
On the Richmond Hill location, 18 workers, together with two gang foremen, have been discovered to be stealing time from the general public entity.
An worker there advised the IG that he was instructed to make cloned playing cards and was threatened with misplaced extra time shifts if he refused.
One Richmond Hill worker who left work early throughout his shift went to the health club a staggering 198 occasions whereas nonetheless on the clock, the report mentioned.
One other Richmond Hill employee interviewed by the IG’s workplace mentioned there was a time when one other worker “wouldn’t even present as much as work.”.
On the Manhattan West Aspect location, one other 5 staff have been discovered to be stealing time.
One Richmond Hill gang foreman, Craig Murray, mentioned he was unaware he was implicated within the probe. He’s been on sick go away following surgical procedure however faces disciplinary motion upon return.
“I by no means had a swipe card. I don’t know what’s occurring,” Murray advised The Submit Thursday.
“It’s the primary I’m listening to [of the investigation],” Murray mentioned, although he admitted to “listening to rumors” about using pretend swipe playing cards.
In 2021, the Submit wrote a collection of tales about OT fraud on the LIRR, which resulted in a federal indictments and “OT King” Thomas Caputo getting sentenced to eight months in jail after copping to fraud theft that netted him hundreds of {dollars}.
In the meantime, MTA’s Metro-North division has come below hearth over claims staff filed false security stories.
Authorities watchdogs mentioned the newest rip-off is par for the course on the MTA, notably its LIRR division.
“It’s simply the tip of the iceberg,” mentioned Ken Girardin, a fellow on the Manhattan Institute..
LIRR president Rob Free slammed the pretend card time theft scheme as “nothing wanting corrupt.”
“These energetic workers who have been individuals on this scheme — together with supervisors answerable for ensuring all workers play by the foundations — confronted extreme punishment,” Free mentioned.
A dozen workers who retired or resigned have been made to forfeit lots of of hundreds of {dollars}, he mentioned, whereas others have been suspended as much as 9 months with out pay.
“I can’t permit a number of unscrupulous workers to wreck the repute of hundreds of hard-working LIRR colleagues. Via enhanced know-how and aggressive oversight, we’re guaranteeing that everybody is totally accountable for reporting solely time truly labored.”
The LIRR mentioned it reinstated biometric finger scanning necessities to assist forestall fraudulent ID swipes to clock out and in of labor, a process that was suspended through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The findings have been referred to a few district attorneys’ workplaces however no fees have been filed but.
Suffolk County District Legal professional Ray Tierney mentioned there was inadequate proof to prosecute the slackers because of the “lack of controls on the MTA facility, e.g., no cameras on the worker entrance-exit, no biometric checks, and insufficient information.”
