Passenger Trains > NJ Transit agent sold fake tickets, kept the money

NJ Transit agent tricked passengers into buying fake tickets,
prosecutors say

NJ.com
May 22, 2017
By Thomas Moriarty

> NEWARK -- An East Brunswick man who worked as a ticket agent for NJ
> Transit has been arrested on allegations he tricked passengers into
> buying fake tickets and kept the cash for himself.
>
> John A. Davey, 49, is charged with official misconduct, theft and
> forgery, according to a joint statement Monday from Acting Essex
> County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray and NJ Transit Police Chief
> Christopher Trucillo.
>
> Authorities said that Davey, a ticket agent for the Newark-based
> public railroad for 29 years, had been placing signs reading "no
> cash" on the ticket vending machines at the New Brunswick train
> station, and selling cash-paying customers forged tickets when they
> came to the ticket counter.
>
> When officers moved into arrest Davey, following an investigation by
> both agencies, they found him carrying $1,285.95 and 101 forged
> tickets, printed on real ticket stock taken from the New Brunswick
> station.
>
> NJ Transit police also found additional ticket stock and a thermal
> printer at his home, according to the Prosecutor's Office.
>
> It was not immediately clear Monday whether Davey had an attorney who
> could comment on the charges. He's scheduled to make his first
> appearance in state Superior Court on June 13 in Newark.


http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2017/05/nj_transit_agent_sold_fake_tickets_prosecutor_says.html#incart_river_index

It never ceases to amaze me how these folks come up with the schemes year after year at NJT. Even conductors who are eligible to retire and have been with NJT since inception or prior, jeopardize everything (their pension etc.) and get caught up in stealing from NJT. And currently any employer who offers a pension program is highly sought after. Why take the risk........ But that's a rhetorical question.

Transit will probably blame this on Amtrak too.

Sad. I wonder how his fake tickets went through the magnetic gates at Secaucus? Unless he printed real tickets from his ticket booth machine) for this possibility

The tickets and gates are no longer magnetic, not for several years. They have QR codes.

He probably only pulled this scam once or twice a week.
People would become suspicious if the machines were
consistently marked "no cash" only when he was on duty.

My guess is the revenue guys who come by to service the machines could not imagine why some TVM's were marked partially out of order when they worked fine. The only trouble I ever had with them is that it spit back dimes.

BaltoJoey Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> He probably only pulled this scam once or twice a
> week.
> People would become suspicious if the machines
> were
> consistently marked "no cash" only when he was on
> duty.

Please try rereading what Gene has posted. He was caught with 101 forged tickets in his pockets. This was not a once or twice a week scam.

The revenue guys may show up on a schedule. I know they do on the bus side to service TVM devices.

PATH had a scam years ago which ripped off their ticket vending machines. Two of the service guys found a retired coin canister. Loaded it half full, and swapped it for a completely full canister from a machine. Half emptied that one, and repeated the cycle. Two guys and the cop, the team always worked together when they pulled the scheme.

The scam unraveled when somebody noticed that the (original) canister was still in circulation. That led to a scan of machines, and fingering the scammers.

jst3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BaltoJoey Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > He probably only pulled this scam once or twice
> a
> > week.
> > People would become suspicious if the machines
> > were
> > consistently marked "no cash" only when he was
> on
> > duty.
>
> Please try rereading what Gene has posted. He was
> caught with 101 forged tickets in his pockets.
> This was not a once or twice a week scam.

Maybe it was one of his "on" days?
In other words they nailed him on a day when the signs were up!!

PS: I have excellent reading comprehension skills TY!