BOSTON — Four former Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority employees and one current MBTA employee were arrested and charged Thursday with allegedly falsifying Red Line track inspection reports.
Brian Pfaffinger, 47, of Marshfield; Ronald Gamble, 62, of Dorchester; Jensen Vatel, 42, of Brockton; Nathalie Mendes, 53, of New Bedford; and Andy Vicente, 36, of Bridgewater have been indicted for falsification of records, aiding and abetting; and false statements, aiding and abetting, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement.
Pfaffinger, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente were arrested Thursday morning and were expected to appear in federal court in Boston later Thursday.
In a statement Thursday, MBTA officials said “immediate action” was taken when the alleged misconduct came to light.
“The MBTA thanks the U.S. Attorney’s office for their thorough investigation and diligent work toward holding people accountable for alleged criminal activity,” MBTA officials said.
“As a public agency, it is our responsibility to be good stewards of public resources and deliver safe and reliable service to transit users,” MBTA officials said. “That’s why General Manager Phil Eng took immediate action to hold these employees accountable when this misconduct came to light.”
“Their actions do not reflect the values of the MBTA, and they will not impact the improvements we continue to make across the system,” MBTA officials said. “We are taking these allegations very seriously, as we have an obligation to the public and to our workforce to ensure that every employee meets the highest standards of conduct.”
Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente were former MBTA track inspectors whose employment with the MBTA ended last year.
Pfaffinger, who had been disciplined earlier this year, is currently on leave from his MBTA job.
Prosecutors allege that between Sept. 3, 2024 to Oct. 15, 2024, rather than complete MBTA inspections, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente allegedly falsified track inspection reports. The reports stated that they completed track inspections for Red Line tracks when they did not perform the inspections.
Prosecutors allege that instead, at the time of the inspections, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente were inside Cabot Yard, an MBTA location with a coffee and breakroom for Red Line inspection employees.
Cabot Yard also contained a large garage where Gamble, Vatel and Vicente allegedly worked on private vehicles during work hours, prosecutors said.
On Sept. 19, 2024, during the time that Vicente allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Vicente (circled in red below) sitting inside of Cabot Garage holding his cellular phone, prosecutors said.
On Sept. 23, 2024, during the time that Mendes allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Mendes (circled in red below) sitting inside her vehicle. Mendes allegedly did not leave her vehicle until well after her inspection ended.
On Sept. 24, 2024, during the time that Vatel allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Vatel (circled in red below) chatting with other MBTA employees in the parking lot outside of Cabot Garage.
On Oct. 8, 2024, during the time that Gamble allegedly performed a track inspection, video surveillance depicted Gamble (circled in red below) performing detail work on a private vehicle inside of Cabot Garage.
Pfaffinger, the former supervisor for Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente, allegedly not only knew that his subordinates worked on private vehicles during work hours, but had his subordinates work on his own vehicle, prosecutors allege.
On Oct. 14, 2024, Gamble created an inspection report alleging he conducted an inspection, but surveillance video showed that Gamble was inside of Cabot Garage with Pfaffinger, prosecutors said.
Despite knowing that the inspection report was false, and that Gamble was at Cabot Garage on Oct. 14, 2024, the following day, Pfaffinger allegedly created supporting documentation for Gamble’s Oct. 14, 2024, inspection, which he knew to be false, prosecutors said.
Transit Police last year referred the matter to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
If convicted of the charge of falsification of records and aiding and abetting the falsification of records, Pfaffinger, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison to be followed by up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
If convicted of the charge of false statements and aiding and abetting false statements, Pfaffinger, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente face a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
A statement sent to Boston 25 News from Ronald Gamble’s attorney, Michael Tumposky, said, “The government is making a federal case out of an internal personnel matter. Mr. Gamble looks forward to his day in court.”
Thursday’s arrests came one day after former Norfolk County Sheriff’s Deputy Superintendent Thomas Brady was arrested and charged with extortion.
Brady, 53, of Norwood, is accused of forcing his subordinates to perform free labor at his house during their public work shifts, Foley said Wednesday.
He has been indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts of extortion and three counts of use of interstate facilities to commit bribery and extortion.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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