MTA Board Member Slams Long Island Rail Road Leadership for Failing to Fire Workers in Overtime Scam
An MTA board member, James O’Donnell, expressed outrage on Wednesday over the failure of Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) leadership to terminate dozens of workers involved in a scandalous scheme to manipulate their work hours. O’Donnell criticized LIRR President Rob Free for allowing the accused scammers to retain their jobs even after being exposed in a scam that involved the use of fake ID cards to falsely claim payment for hours not worked.
According to media reports, some of the employees implicated in the scheme had been earning substantial amounts of overtime before being caught. O’Donnell condemned the lack of action taken against the workers involved, stating that they should not be allowed to continue benefiting from their fraudulent behavior.
MTA Inspector General Daniel Court uncovered the scam, which he described as a blatant theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars. He called for a personal briefing with the board, expressing his frustration at learning about the workers still employed through local news reports.
The scheme involved workers using machines to replicate ID cards, with some individuals creating fake badges in locker rooms and even inside personal vehicles on LIRR property. The forged cards were sold for profit, allowing employees to receive payment while not on duty. Some workers were reportedly earning significantly more in overtime than their honest colleagues, with one foreman outearning the railroad’s president.
President Free defended the railroad’s handling of the situation, stating that disciplinary proceedings were underway for the majority of the employees involved. He explained that 13 workers had resigned before the investigation began, one employee had been fired, and six were undergoing disciplinary hearings.
Although the inspector general referred the case to district attorneys, no criminal charges were filed due to a lack of evidence, such as surveillance footage or biometric logs. However, O’Donnell insisted that consequences should be imposed by the MTA regardless of criminal charges.
Janno Lieber, CEO of the MTA, assured O’Donnell that the board would receive a briefing on the internal investigation as requested. He emphasized the importance of allowing the disciplinary process to run its course before taking further action against the implicated employees.
