Investigative Reports

An Amtrak manager based in Thorndale, Pennsylvania, was terminated from employment on September 18, 2025, following an administrative hearing. Our investigation found that the employee violated company policies by providing false information on his employment application.

The AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigated allegations that Public Allies mismanaged its AmeriCorps members (members) in relation to its July 2022 restructuring, which included the closure of some local offices and service sites. Following the restructuring, AmeriCorps OIG received multiple complaints from members citing a lack of transparency and widespread confusion regarding the operational status of local Public Allies offices. Some members reported being unsupervised and unsure of reporting structures in the immediate aftermath of the announcement. AmeriCorps OIG initiated an investigation into the alleged member mismanagement and to assess the financial responsibility of Public Allies in its use of AmeriCorps funds, specifically examining the causes and events leading up to the restructuring.

Co-CEO of Chinese publicly traded technology company and financial advisor indicted for over $100M securities fraud scheme

An Amtrak senior management official based in Washington, D.C., resigned from his position on July 17, 2025, and a senior director in Florida, resigned from his position on August 22, 2025. At the time of their resignations, both employees were under investigation by our office for alleged conflicts of interest with Amtrak vendors that were not disclosed to the company. The former senior management official is not eligible for rehire.

Anthony Gregory, a former Amtrak conductor based in Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty on September 3, 2025, in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of San Diego, to one count Obscene Matter Depicting Persons Under 18 and to one count Disobeying a Court Order. Our investigation found that Gregory advertised for sale and distribution obscene matter depicting a person under the age of 18 years old. Gregory also violated a court order obtained to prevent domestic violence and disturbance of the peace.

Gregory will be sentenced at a future date.

Ajmal Atherton of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty on August 30, 2025, in Brooklyn District Court to one count of grand larceny in the third degree and one count of offering a false instrument for filing in the second degree. Our investigation found that Atherton fraudulently obtained New York State unemployment benefits. Atherton’s conduct was identified during an investigation into an alleged financial fraud involving a former Amtrak electrician.

The OIG conducted an administrative investigation into allegations of misconduct by Judith Dawson, former Chancellor of the VA Acquisition Academy, in connection with an August 2023 acquisition training symposium held at a conference center hotel in Aurora, Colorado, and attended by over 1,200 contracting personnel.

The OIG found that Ms. Dawson knowingly accepted multiple impermissible gifts from the conference center and violated VA policy by improperly directing staff to solicit and accept gifts of sponsored social events at the symposium, purportedly on behalf of VA. The OIG also found that Ms. Dawson at times discouraged her executive assistant from raising questions or seeking guidance regarding potential ethical violations in connection with the symposium, which was contrary to legislative direction that supervisors are to foster an environment in which VA employees could express concerns. Further, the investigation revealed that Ms. Dawson did not report the spa services she received from the conference center as gifts on her annual public financial disclosure report for 2023, even though the value of the gifts exceeded the reporting threshold. Instead, Ms. Dawson indicated that she had no reportable gifts.

Due to Ms. Dawson’s retirement from VA, the OIG made no recommendations with respect to possible administrative action against her. However, the OIG recommended that VA determine whether any additional steps need to be taken regarding Ms. Dawson’s 2023 public financial disclosure based on the findings in this report. The OIG also recommended VA consider additional training on sponsorships for VA events and acceptance of free meals. VA concurred with the OIG’s recommendations and noted that it plans to issue a memorandum regarding whistleblower protections, direct the relevant senior executives to complete conference policy training and report their oversight activities within ten days following a conference, and amend Ms. Dawson’s 2023 financial disclosure report.

Two Amtrak employees were sentenced in August 2025 and a third pleaded guilty in July 2025 for their roles in a health care fraud conspiracy investigated by Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General (OIG). In addition, a New York-based physical therapist pleaded guilty in June 2025 for her role in the scheme. Since May 2025, Amtrak has terminated 17 other employees who took part in the scheme but were not criminally charged. In total, 71 employees have resigned or were terminated since the inception of this investigation.

Amtrak employees Damany Walker of Gloversville, New York, and David McBrien, of Levittown, Pennsylvania, were sentenced August 20, 2025, and August 21, 2025, respectively, to two years of probation. Walker was ordered to pay $428,523 in restitution and McBrien was ordered to pay $234,778. Amtrak employee Gregory Richardson, 35, of Roosevelt, New York, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud on July 17, 2025, in U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey. Walker, McBrien, and Richardson accepted cash kickbacks from health care providers for the use of their insurance information to file false and questionable medical claims for services that were never provided or not medically necessary.

Taejin Kim, a licensed physical therapist of Bayside, New York, was one of at least four health care providers who participated in the scheme. Kim pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud on June 11, 2025. Kim submitted false and fraudulent claims to Amtrak’s insurance plan, and Amtrak paid approximately $2,253,453 as a result.

A red cap based in Tampa, Florida, was terminated from employment on August 14, 2025, following an administrative hearing. Our investigation found that the former employee violated company policy by not disclosing six criminal convictions on his employee background check during the hiring process and by being dishonest with our agents during his interview.

A sheet metal worker based in Los Angeles, California, was terminated from employment on August 5, 2025, following an administrative hearing. Our investigation found that the former employee violated company policy by making profane, sexually explicit remarks to a female co-worker while on duty. Three other employees corroborated the incident. The former employee is not eligible for rehire.