NEWARK, N.J. — A former Amtrak employee has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from fraudently obtaining dozens of chainsaw and hundreds of chainsaw parts over an eight-year period.
A press release from Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General says Jose Rodriguez, 49, of Brick, N.J., obtained 114 chainsaws, 112 chainsaw replacement bars, and 222 replacement chains from Amtrak, saying the equipment would be used for Amtrak projects. He then sold the items, with a total value of more than $76,000, on online auction sites or directly to buyers. Having used the U.S. Postal Service to mail the items to purchasers, he pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for April 19, 2022.
Rodriguez, who began work for Amtrak in October 2007, had previously been charged with one count of theft from an agency receiving federal funds and one count of theft of government property [see “Digest: Developer’s agreement with Metra …,” Trains News Wire, March 10, 2021].
I wonder if they were stamped “Property of Amtrak”?
So this guy requisitioned a new chainsaw about every 17 working days and that took eight years for somebody to notice?
The article fails to mention what Amtrak does with chainsaws. Just how many trees grow along the NEC?
I read the link—make that every 8-9 working days.
Kind of like the MTA employee on Long Island who charged more hours of OT than straight time. No one noticed.
Or, maybe, lots of people noticed but maybe got a spiff for not noticing.