Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation) OIG

Robert Barrows, a former Amtrak Assistant Conductor, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, on June 17, 2021, to making a false statement to obtain federal employee’s compensation in 2016. Barrows falsely claimed on his unemployment benefits claim form that he had no...

An Amtrak coach cleaner based in Chicago, Illinois, was terminated from employment on June 10, 2021, following his administrative hearing. Our investigation found that the former employee violated company policy by failing to report his arrest and conviction for driving under the influence and...

Jean Francois Picard, a medical marketer based in Los Angeles, was sentenced in United States District Court, Southern District of California, on June 14, 2021, to 10 months in prison and three years of probation for payment of illegal remunerations. Our investigation found that Picard paid...

Joshua Pearson, a marketer from St. George, Utah, was sentenced on June 3, 2021, in U.S. District Court, Central District of California, to three years probation, six months home confinement, and was ordered to forfeit $1,250,000. Pearson previously pleaded guilty to receipt of illegal kickbacks...

A former Amtrak electrician in Chicago pleaded guilty in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, to Financial Institution Fraud on June 9, 2021. The former employee was sentenced on the same date to one year probation and paid $11,944.44 in restitution to US Bank. Our investigation found that...

Lamont Brown, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, on June 2, 2021, to a prison term of time served, probation for 36-months and was ordered to pay restitution of $97,210 to Amtrak. Brown previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire...

A procurement manager was terminated from employment on May 21, 2021, after our investigation found she violated Amtrak policies by repeatedly mischaracterizing the relationship with and misrepresenting actions by our office to intimidate and coerce Amtrak employees and vendors from taking certain...

Amtrak (the company) contracted with the independent public accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP to audit its consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal year then ended, September 30, 2020, and to provide a report on internal control over financial reporting and compliance with...

I am pleased to submit the Amtrak Office of Inspector General (OIG) Semiannual Report to the United States Congress for the six months ending March 31, 2021. One year ago, we were in the very early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when Amtrak’s ridership and revenue plunged to record lows...