Investigative Reports

The OIG investigated an allegation that Eric Rickerson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) State Supervisor, Lacey, WA, sexually assaulted an FWS employee while the two were at an FWS conference. The assaulted employee said that she, Rickerson, and a another male FWS employee shared a cabin with two bedrooms and a loft at the resort. The employee alleged that Rickerson came to her loft bedroom uninvited, exposed himself, and touched her inappropriately.We found that Rickerson entered the employee’s loft bedroom uninvited four times during the night, exposed himself to her multiple times, climbed into her bed naked, and touched her in a sexual manner more than once without her permission.We referred our findings to the Deschutes County District Attorney and on October 29, 2019, Rickerson pleaded guilty to felony coercion and misdemeanor sex abuse, harassment, intimidation, and private indecency. Rickerson was sentenced to 30 days in jail and 36 months supervised probation. He also must register as a sex offender and pay the employee $5,856.07 in restitution.The FWS suspended Rickerson without pay during the investigation and he resigned from his position with the FWS on November 5, 2019.

DOJ News Release

An Amtrak Passenger Conductor in Los Angeles, California, was terminated from employment on January 23, 2020, following the employee’s administrative hearing for violating company policy. Our investigation found that the employee was convicted of a DUI in July 2015 and failed to report the conviction to the company, as required by company policy.

An Amtrak senior employee in Los Angeles, California, was terminated from employment on January 21, 2020, and a Los Angeles-based senior employee in Mechanical Operations was issued a written reprimand on the same date following the issuance of our investigative report. Our investigation found that the senior employee solicited money and accepted gifts from company contractors. Our investigation also found that the senior employee in Mechanical Operations misused company equipment and email when proposing a personal business venture with a company contractor.

Ryan Taylor Minter, of Calumet City, Illinois, pleaded guilty in the Central District of Illinois to charges of wire fraud on December 20, 2019.Our investigation found that Minter participated in a scheme to defraud Amtrak and others by using stolen credit card information from at least 216 different credit or debit cards to purchase Amtrak tickets online valued at over $29,000. Minter used Amtrak’s mobile application and website to purchase the tickets and then advertised them at a discounted price on social media sites frequented by college students. As part of the plea agreement, Minter has agreed to pay restitution if so ordered by the court.Minter was previously indicted on 5 counts of wire fraud and was arrested on July 1, 2019. Minter will be sentenced at a future date.

Three Chicago-based employees were terminated from employment on December 20 and December 23, 2019, and two more resigned on December 18, 2019 and January 2, 2020, in lieu of termination prior to their administrative hearings. The five former employees participated in a medical fraud scheme in violation of company policies.Our investigation found that the former employees provided a chiropractor, based in Dolton, Illinois, with their medical and personally identifiable information, typically their names and dates of birth or those of their dependents, in exchange for cash kickbacks. The chiropractor used the information to fraudulently bill Amtrak’s health insurance plan for services that were not provided. In addition, all five employees lied to our agents during their interviews.

A Reservation Sales Agent based in Philadelphia was terminated from employment on December 23, 2019, for submitting falsified medical documentation to extend her medical leave of absence. She had previously entered into an Alternative Resolution Dispute agreement on November 4, 2019, with the Magisterial District in Bucks County, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and received 12 months’ probation, 10 hours community service, and was directed to pay restitution of $228 to Amtrak.

Gladys Perez, Coach Cleaner, Los Angeles, California, was terminated from employment on December 5, 2019, following an administrative hearing for violating company policy. Our investigation found that Perez participated in a health care fraud scheme in which Amtrak’s health care plan was billed for acupuncture and other services that were not actually provided. On October 10, 2019, Perez signed a pretrial diversion letter agreement, which was accepted in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, wherein she admitted to committing two counts of health care fraud in furtherance of the scheme to defraud the company’s health plan.

The OIG investigated allegations that workers aboard an offshore oil production platform violated Federal regulations, which resulted in an explosion that killed three platform workers and spilled oil into the Gulf of Mexico in November 2012.We found that three individuals and three companies—Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations, LLC (Black Elk), Wood Group PSN, Inc.; and Grand Isle Shipyards, Inc.—were negligent in their responsibility to safely conduct welding operations aboard the offshore oil production platform. We also found the parties involved did not comply with welding regulations issued by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), which contributed to the fatal explosion.The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted this matter, and all six parties pleaded guilty and were convicted of violations of the Clean Water Act. Black Elk also pleaded guilty to violations of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. The criminal sentences for all six parties resulted in the combined total of 168 months of probation and $6,505,000 in criminal fines.