MTA: Metro-North supervisor tampered with GPS on work truck, used it for personal trips

A Metro-North Railroad supervisor based at the Bridgeport, Connecticut, maintenance yard has resigned after an investigation determined he "repeatedly tampered" with the GPS device in his assigned work truck, using it for shopping treks and other personal errands while on duty, the Office of the MTA Inspector General announced Monday.

The supervisor, whose name was not released, worked for the MTA for about a dozen years.

The MTA Office of the Inspector General said an investigation launched in July 2023 found on at least 111 instances between July 15, 2023, and March 18, the supervisor, identified only as a "structures supervisor," disconnected his work truck GPS and used the vehicle 40 times during a 57-day period for "personal purposes."

The trips he took on these occasions included shopping at Bass Pro Shops and the Connecticut Post Mall, as well as traveling to his parents’ home on Christmas Eve.

A report issued by the MTA OIG said it is a violation of MTA policy to use a work vehicle for personal business — and it also was a violation of Metro-North policy and operating procedure to tamper with the GPS. The MTA also cited ethics violations related to public trust.

The investigation found 18 instances when the GPS device was disconnected, then reconnected on the same day; 60 instances when the device was disconnected overnight; and 31 instances when it was disconnected and remained so for "consecutive days" — such as over Thanksgiving weekend, and during both the Christmas and New Year’s weekends during the investigation time period.

Officials said OIG investigators installed a second, hidden GPS device on the truck that revealed the true usage, finding the supervisor also used the truck 21 times to drive to a co-worker’s home while off duty.

The report said the supervisor "blatantly violated MNR and MTA policies regarding MNR-assigned work vehicles" and also "engaged in a course of conduct that created suspicion and violated the public trust" — all, while violating New York State Public Officers Law.

"He admitted to using his MNR-assigned work vehicle for personal purposes, both while on and off duty, and disconnecting the GPS device installed in the vehicle to use the vehicle whenever he wanted," the report stated, adding: "Moreover, the Structures Supervisor initially was not honest with OIG staff during his interview. Only when confronted by OIG and shown its analysis, did he admit to tampering with the GPS device."

The supervisor was first suspended without pay and hit with disciplinary charges before being allowed to resign on Aug. 12.

The OIG report said: "The use of all MTA Vehicles is restricted to the performance of Official Business and use for any personal purposes or business is strictly forbidden, except under very limited circumstances.

"Even in cases where personal use is authorized or is incidental to Official Business, each person operating an MTA Vehicle is expected to exercise good judgment to avoid the appearance of impropriety," the report said.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”