4 former MBTA workers who clocked in extra time effectively north of $50,000 final 12 months and a present staffer might resist 20 years in jail for allegedly falsifying Pink Line monitor inspection studies.
The 4 former workers are accused in federal courtroom of engaged on non-public autos, enjoying on their telephones, and chatting with different workers as an alternative of performing monitor inspections, which they acknowledged they accomplished.
The present lone staffer, who’s on go away after being disciplined, had supervised the fired workers and allegedly had his subordinates work on his private automobile, in line with charging paperwork.
Authorities arrested Brian Pfaffinger, 47, of Marshfield; Ronald Gamble, 62, of Dorchester; Jensen Vatel, 42, of Brockton; Nathalie Mendes, 53, of New Bedford; and Andy Vicente, 36, of Bridgewater, on Thursday morning following their indictments.
All 5 face expenses of falsification of information, aiding and abetting, and false statements, aiding and abetting, in reference to their alleged exercise, which prosecutors say passed off at Cabot Yard in South Boston between Sept. 3, 2024, and Oct. 15, 2024.
In a press release, the MBTA thanked the Massachusetts U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for its “thorough investigation and diligent work toward holding people accountable for alleged criminal activity.”
“As a public agency,” it added, “it is our responsibility to be good stewards of public resources and deliver safe and reliable service to transit users. That’s why General Manager Phil Eng took immediate action to hold these employees accountable when this misconduct came to light.”
Company officers had let go of a complete of eight workers as of final December, MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo instructed the Herald on the time. Final October, the company began probing suspected prison exercise on the Cabot Yard upkeep facility, the place Pink Line autos are saved, and monitor employees and inspectors are based mostly.
Charging paperwork define the alleged misdoings, with video surveillance displaying Vicente sitting inside Cabot Storage holding a cellphone; Mendes sitting inside her automobile, and allegedly not leaving till after the inspection; Vatel chatting with different MBTA workers; and Gambel performing element work on a non-public automobile.
In a separate incident, on Oct. 14, Gamble is accused of making an “inspection report alleging he conducted an inspection; however, according to surveillance video, Gamble was inside of Cabot Garage with Pfaffinger.”
“Despite knowing that the inspection report was false, and that Gamble was at Cabot Garage on Oct. 14, 2024, the following day, Pfaffinger allegedly created supporting documentation for Gamble’s Oct. 14, 2024, inspection, which he knew to be false,” a launch from the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace states.
Falsification of information and aiding and abetting the falsification of information supplies a sentence of as much as 20 years in jail to be adopted by as much as three years of supervised launch and a nice of as much as $250,000.
Prices of false statements and aiding and abetting false statements carry a sentence of as much as 5 years in jail, as much as three years of supervised launch and a nice of as much as $250,000.
Mendes, Vicente, Vatel and Gamble all raked in additional than $50,000 in extra time final 12 months, taking pictures their complete pay north of $150,000, charging paperwork present. Gamble led the pack with $121,476.51 in OT and $241,014.67 in complete compensation.
Pfaffinger, who earned $144,009.82 in complete pay final 12 months, might face additional disciplinary motion, together with termination, the MBTA stated Thursday.
“Their actions do not reflect the values of the MBTA, and they will not impact the improvements we continue to make across the system,” the company stated of the staff. “We are taking these allegations very seriously, as we have an obligation to the public and to our workforce to ensure that every employee meets the highest standards of conduct.”
