Investigative Reports

We substantiated allegations that an oil and gas company failed to pay Federal mineral royalties, and ONRR recovered a total of $1,903,261.

DOL-OIG Investigations Newsletter Vol. 37 covering October 1 - November 30, 2021

An Amtrak electrician based in Chicago, Illinois, was terminated from employment on December 28, 2021, following his administrative hearing. Our investigation found that the former employee violated company policies by failing to report his prior guilty pleas and conviction on his initial application and background check form and also failed to disclose his alcohol-related arrest while employed with the company. Additionally, our investigation found that the employee violated company policy by engaging in outside employment while on medical leave and lying to our agents during his interview.

A Chef in the Ops Transportation Department based in New York City was terminated on December 28, 2021, after an administrative hearing. The former employee failed to report two drug-related arrests and one drug-related conviction to the company. Company policy requires employees to notify the company as soon as practicable after an arrest, or within 48 hours after the arrest. The employee was also untruthful with us when asked about the arrests during our investigation.

An Amtrak road foreman based in LaJunta, Colorado, was terminated from employment on December 21, 2021, after our investigation found that the former employee violated company policies by failing to report a March 2021 arrest for driving under the influence as required by company policy and lying to our agents during her interview. In addition, the employee used her position in a supervisory role to direct other employees to lie and provide false statements to our agents. Three additional employees were issued final disciplinary warnings and received suspensions of one week without pay.

We did not substantiate a Complainant’s allegations of whistleblower retaliation against the National Park Service.

Kevin Nelson, a resident of New York, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, on December 16, 2021, to two years’ imprisonment and ordered to pay $287,805 in restitution to Amtrak. He pleaded guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft for his involvement in an Amtrak eVoucher scheme on August 30, 2021. Nelson and his co-conspirators used stolen credit card and personal information to make unauthorized purchases of Amtrak tickets and then cancelled or exchanged those tickets for eVouchers. Subsequently, they sold the fraudulently obtained eVouchers on the internet. The approximate loss to Amtrak from the scheme was $450,000.

An Amtrak onboard supervisor based in Seattle, Washington, resigned from the company on December 7, 2021, while under investigation for engaging in outside employment while on a medical leave of absence. Our investigation found that the former employee violated company policy by operating a personal business while on a medical leave of absence from the company.

We substantiated allegations that an oil and gas company claimed unallowable costs. The company agreed to pay ONRR a $6.15 million settlement.

We substantiated allegations that Extraction Oil & Gas, Inc., produced minerals without obtaining a Federal mineral lease.

Robert Barrows, a former Amtrak Assistant Conductor, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, on December 7, 2021, and ordered to pay restitution of $1,000. He pleaded guilty 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 income during the claim period when he applied for Railroad Retirement Board unemployment benefits. Our investigation was conducted jointly with the RRB Office of Inspector General.