Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation) OIG

David Pugliese, a resident of Palm Beach County, Florida, pleaded guilty on July 28, 2023, in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, to Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud. Pugliese was the manager and registered agent of Capital Advantage Diagnostics, LLC, which was purportedly in...

Our objective was to assess the company’s early efforts to comply with all Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requirements, with a focus on its ability to use, account for, and report on the $22 billion in direct IIJA funding it will receive.As of July 2023, the company has received about $731...

An Amtrak Service Attendant based in Seattle, Washington, was terminated from employment on August 2, 2023, following her administrative hearing. Our investigation found that the former employee violated company policies by engaging in outside employment while on a medical leave of absence. During...

An Amtrak Assistant Lead Customer Service Representative based in New Orleans, Louisiana, resigned from his position on August 8, 2023, prior to his administrative hearing. Our investigation found that the former employee violated company policies by accepting cash kickbacks from a private...

Leslie Ezidore, a resident of Los Angeles, California, and owner of the now-defunct Irvine Wellness Pharmacy, was sentenced on July 24, 2023, in U.S. District Court, Central District of California, to 6 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution of $12,715,679...

An Amtrak Electrical Journeyman based in Miami, Florida, resigned from his position on May 16, 2023, prior to his administrative hearing. Our investigation found that the former employee violated company policies by engaging in outside employment while on a medical leave of absence.

This report offers the OIG’s perspective relative to fraud risks facing the company as it continues its expansion into large-scale acquisitions and infrastructure programs. If history is any indicator, funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—like other large spending bills—will be...

An Amtrak Lead Customer Service Representative based in New Orleans, Louisiana, resigned from her position on June 1, 2023, following the issuance of our investigative report. Our investigation found that the former employee violated company policies by accepting cash kickbacks from a private...