What you should know
- A 72-year-old man from Long Island who worked as an Access-a-Ride driver attempted to steal nearly $ 70,000 from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority by faking wrong trips, 661 in all, before he was arrested, the Queens district attorney alleges. .
- MTA investigators observed the driver of Access-a-Ride, a “paratransit” transportation service operated by New York City Transit.
- Several times when he was supposed to be driving the passenger in question, but each time there were no passengers in his yellow TLC wheelchair accessible cab, prosecutors say.
—
NEW YORK – A 72-year-old man from Long Island who worked as an Access-a-Ride driver tried to steal nearly $ 70,000 from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority by faking wrong trips, 661 in all, before he was arrested, the prosecutor alleges from the borough of Queens.
Prosecutors say the Freeport man filed false reimbursement claims between September 2020 and February 2021 and took home an additional $ 69,860 for trips he never provided.
The accused driver allegedly logged 661 trips on a woman’s account between that six-month period through a transportation app. If those trips were accurate, you would have picked the passenger, on average, three times a day for six months.
MTA investigators observed the driver of Access-a-Ride, a “paratransit” transportation service operated by New York City Transit, several times when he was supposed to be driving the passenger in question, but each time there were no passengers in his yellow TLC wheelchair accessible cab, prosecutors say.
“Access-a-Ride service offers much-needed transportation options for
those with mobility problems. Unfortunately, this defendant allegedly found a way to scam the system, “District Attorney Melinda Katz said Friday.
“It is morally unacceptable that this unscrupulous driver was allegedly able to steal nearly $ 70,000 from a program specifically intended to provide vital transportation to people with disabilities. This case highlights why strong fraud controls must be implemented throughout the MTA, “added Transit Agency Inspector General Carolyn Pokorny.
Katz said the Freeport man appeared in Queens Criminal Court Thursday on charges of grand theft, identity theft and falsifying business records. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.
It is unknown if Katz obtained an attorney who could comment on his behalf on the charges he faces.
– .
