Investigative Reports

An Amtrak conductor based in Washington, D.C., violated company policies by failing to report an August 5, 2019, Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) conviction he incurred during his employment. Amtrak removed the employee from service pending his disciplinary hearing. The employee agreed to a Waiver in Lieu of Termination on June 9, 2023, admitting to the charges and was assessed a time-served suspension after remaining out of service for six weeks.

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 transportation driver for referring passengers to his service. During her interview, the former employee admitted to receiving money for referring passengers to the transportation service.

A Crew Management Representative based in Wilmington, Delaware, violated company policy by working at her personally owned business between August 25, 2022, and February 13, 2023, while she was on leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and receiving short-term disability benefits in excess of $35,000. The employee was terminated on June 1, 2023, after her disciplinary hearing on May 25, 2023. She is ineligible for rehire.

We investigated allegations that two U.S. Park Police officers used excessive force against two members of the news media during the operation to disperse protesters in and around Lafayette Park on June 1, 2020.

A Las Vegas man pleaded guilty to charges of Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, on May 17, 2023. The man admitted to participating in a "phishing" scheme in which he fraudulently obtained credit card and personal identifying information (PII) from his victims, including names and banking information. He used the victims' credit card information and PII to purchase online travel tickets on common carriers, including Trailways and Amtrak, and then resold the tickets to other individuals and kept the proceeds. He was indicted on July 11, 2019, and his sentencing hearing is pending.

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.

Peter Port, a resident of Palm Beach County, Florida, pleaded guilty on May 10, 2023, in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida, to Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud. Port owned and controlled Safe Haven, a substance abuse center, which was purportedly in the business of providing clinical treatment for persons suffering from alcohol and drug addiction.Our investigation found that Port and others paid kickbacks and bribes in the form of cash, free or reduced sober homes rent, and other benefits to individuals who agreed to be patients at Safe Haven. Fraudulent claims were subsequently submitted to insurance plans for unnecessary urine testing and addiction treatment services that were not provided. As a result of the scheme, Amtrak’s insurance providers were fraudulently charged approximately $86,130. Port and three co-defendants will be sentenced at a future date.

Ketrick Barron, a former Amtrak General Foreman, based in Washington, D.C., was sentenced on May 9, 2023, to three years’ probation and ordered to pay restitution of $6,580 to Amtrak. On February 21, 2023, Barron pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, District of Maryland, to one misdemeanor count of Theft of Government Property related to his use of a General Services Administration fuel card issued to Amtrak to fuel personal vehicles at a cost of approximately $6,580.20.

The owner of a company contracted to do work for Amtrak signed a pre-trial diversion agreement on May 8, 2023, in Marion County Superior Court, Indiana. Our investigation found that the contractor stole two train horns from the Beech Grove Maintenance Facility and later sold them to individuals he met on various train-related internet sites and online forums. The contractor agreed to pay $10,000 in restitution, including $4,750 to the company.

Michael Devine, a former Fire, Life and Safety Assistant Supervisor based in New York, was found guilty on March 15, 2023, of one count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree after a three-day bench trial in the Supreme Court of the State of New York. On April 27, 2023, Devine was sentenced to 400 hours community service and ordered to pay restitution of $2,685 to Amtrak. Devine created counterfeit Amtrak badges for himself and other employees and participated in a scheme with co-workers to use these fake badges and/or their official Amtrak badges to “swipe” each other in and out on Amtrak’s time and attendance machines. Devine resigned on December 10, 2021, and is ineligible for rehire.

Michael Ligotti, D.O., of Delray Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty on October 4, 2022, to conspiring to commit health care fraud for his participation in a $681 million years-long health care fraud scheme throughout Palm Beach County, billing for fraudulent tests and treatments for vulnerable patients seeking treatment for drug and/or alcohol addiction. Amtrak’s health care plan was billed over $535,000 as part of the scheme. On January 9, 2023, Ligotti was sentenced to 20 years in prison. On April 27, 2023, Ligotti’s sentence was amended to include an order of $127,427,988 in restitution.