An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Brought to you by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency
Investigative Reports
Date Issued
Agency Reviewed / Investigated
Report Title
Type
Location
Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation)
Employee Resigns After Failure to Report Two Arrests
A Trackman/Watchman based in New York resigned on April 12, 2022, prior to his disciplinary hearing. The former employee failed to report his two alcohol related arrests in August 2017 and August 2019 and their corresponding convictions in July 2019 and April 2021.
Investigative Summary: Finding of Misconduct by an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) for Misuse of Position, Conduct Prejudicial to the Government, and Driving a Personal Vehicle While Under the Influence of Alcohol
Findings of Misconduct by an Assistant United States Attorney for Inappropriate Physical Contact with a Foreign Service National and Other Unprofessional Conduct while on a Department of Justice Detail Assignment in a Foreign Country
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) initiated an investigation to inquire into an anonymous hotline complaint that alleged a senior agency employee was engaged in outside employment without agency approval or clearance in violation of federal regulations and FEC rules. Investigation of the matter determined the allegation was not substantiated because the employee in question (the subject) was not employed by the company while also an FEC employee.
Darius Lopez, a resident of Tampa, Florida, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, to fraud and related activity in connection with access devices on September 1, 2022. Lopez was arrested on April 15, 2021, by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Department for using counterfeit credit cards to purchase over $20,000 of landscaping equipment. At the time of his arrest, Lopez was in possession of numerous counterfeit credit cards, including a fake GSA SmartPay purchase card with a purchase card number that was issued to Amtrak. This investigation is being conducted jointly with the GSA Office of Inspector General.
Dominic Signorelli, a podiatrist based in Los Angeles, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Central District of California, on August 29, 2022, to five months in prison followed by 5 months’ home detention upon his release. He was ordered to pay a fine of $150,000 and to forfeit $955,000. Our investigation found that Signorelli received kickbacks from marketing companies for prescribing unnecessary compounded medications to patients without their knowledge. As a result of the scheme, Amtrak’s insurance providers were fraudulently charged approximately $22,000. A total of 11 defendants have been convicted and sentenced in conjunction with this scheme, with one defendant remaining to be sentenced.
Chau Nguyen, a.k.a. Cindy Le, a resident of Yorba Linda, California, was sentenced on August 22, 2022, in United States District Court, Central District of California, to one day in prison (time served), 12 months’ home confinement, and was ordered to pay $7,623,701 in joint restitution to Tricare and $70,065 to Amtrak. Our investigation found that Cindy Le’s husband, Tony Le, who is serving a 70-month prison sentence, used his pharmacy to submit more than $13 million in fraudulent claims for unnecessary compounded medications to both Tricare and Amtrak’s health care plans. When Tony Le was away from the pharmacy, Cindy Le continued the fraudulent scheme to illegally bilk the insurance plans. Five defendants were convicted and sentenced in this investigation, and a total of $838,552 in restitution has been ordered paid to Amtrak.
An Amtrak Service/Train Attendant based in New Orleans was terminated from his position on August 18, 2022, following his administrative hearing. Our investigation found that the former employee violated company policies by engaging in outside self-employment while on a medical leave of absence.
An Amtrak service attendant based in Seattle resigned from his position on August 17, 2022, as a result of our investigation into his alleged abuse of COVID-19 Leave. Our investigation found that the employee was placed on COVID-19 Leave on July 8, 2022, a type of leave that is granted for a 5-day period. However, the employee failed to produce proof of a COVID-19 diagnosis, as required by the company, and remained away from work for 30 days. Our investigation found that the employee was working as a travel advisor for a travel agency at the time of his resignation.
Architect of the Capitol (AOC) employee misuses AOC identification (ID) to gain access to unauthorized areas of the U.S. Capitol building while utilizing Sick Leave.
Alain Galette, a resident of Miami, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, to one count of wire fraud on August 4, 2022, in relation to his application for a Payroll Program Protection (PPP) loan and in obtaining an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) in the amount of $149,900. The PPP loan was in the amount of $163,577 but was denied. Our investigation found that Galette used an invalid social security number and included other false information on the PPP and EIDL applications. Upon receipt of the EIDL funds, Galette did not use the money for authorized purposes.
Earl Kendricks, Jr., a resident of Roseville, Michigan, was sentenced on August 3, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, to 30 months in prison and ordered to pay $49,332 in restitution, of which $870 is payable to Amtrak. On April 19, 2022, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and making a false statement involving the acquisition of a firearm. Kendricks was sentenced to 30 months in prison for each charge, to be served concurrently. Our investigation found that Kendricks used stolen credit card information to purchase Amtrak tickets and then cancelled the tickets and received Amtrak vouchers, which he then sold on eBay for his own personal gain. The scheme caused the company to issue more than $49,000 in fraudulent ticket vouchers. Our investigation also found that Kendricks made false statements to a licensed firearms dealer to purchase an assault rifle for Christian Newby, who was a wanted fugitive at the time, and a defendant in this investigation.
The OIG investigated an allegation that an attorney at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) may have accessed a BVA senior executive’s government email account without permission, including email concerning a personnel matter involving the attorney. The complaint further alleged that the attorney should have known that access to the materials in the executive’s email account was not authorized. The attorney has since left VA employment.After considering the extensive evidence collected, including analyses of audit logs, mailbox content, testimonial evidence, Office of Information and Technology (OIT) service tickets, and a forensic analysis of the attorney’s government-furnished laptop, the OIG did not substantiate that the attorney ever accessed the executive’s email or that the attorney was aware that such access rights had been assigned to them. Moreover, the OIG team could not dismiss the possibility that the attorney’s unauthorized access privileges were the result of an error made by either OIT staff or the executive. Based on these findings, the OIG made no recommendations.
