A longtime MTA employee was arrested Tuesday after allegedly swiping almost $206,000 from a transit company counting room over a six-month interval, in accordance with authorities.
Metro-North Railroad cashier Tom Shabani, who labored in White Plains and logged 24 years with the transit company, was charged with second-degree grand larceny in a case Westchester County District Legal professional Susan Cacace described Wednesday as “a rare breach of belief.”
The worker’s alleged sticky finger scheme began on Sept. 21, 2024 and lasted till March 12, in accordance with a felony criticism.
Shabani, whose job was to deal with cash obtained from ticket merchandising machines, allegedly pocketed the a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars} and blew the money on private bills, the criticism states.
He was arrested by MTA police Tuesday and arraigned in White Plains Metropolis Court docket the subsequent day earlier than he was launched on his personal recognizance.
“Metro-North has no tolerance for any betrayal of duty to safeguard public funds for the folks of New York,” Metro-North Railroad Government Vice President and Chief Working Officer Justin Vonashek stated in an announcement. “Now we have taken steps to make sure safety measures are bolstered.”
Vonashek stated following the MTA police probe, Shabani was relieved of his responsibility with out pay pending additional disciplinary motion.
Cacace, the county’s prime prosecutor, stated her workplace’s “swift prosecution” of Shabani is a “warning” to different employees who is likely to be tempted to steal public funds.
“Any theft of public funds represents a rare breach of belief, particularly when such theft is alleged to have been dedicated by a public official,” the Democrat stated in an announcement.
Shabani is again in court docket on April 16.
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