Five people arrested for falsifying MBTA track inspection records, US Attorney says
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.
Boston 25 has reached out to the MBTA for comment on the arrests.
According to the charging documents, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente were former MBTA track inspectors.
Rather than complete inspections, prosecutors said during the period between Sept. 3, 2024 to Oct. 15, 2024, Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente allegedly falsified track inspection reports, which 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 that contained 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.
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.
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.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Weather Alert: Flood warnings in effect for parts of New Hampshire
We're on a SEVERE WEATHER ALERT from the Boston 25 Weather Team due to a flood warning in parts of New Hampshire. This alert is in effect for portions of central and southern New Hampshire in Belknap, Merrimack, and Hillsborough counties until 7:45 PM, according to the National Weather Service. WATCH THE FORECAST | INTERACTIVE RADAR | DOWNLOAD THE APPS Follow our Boston 25 Meteorologists on Twitter for updates: Kevin Lemanowicz | Shiri Spear | Tucker Antico | Vicki Graf Stay Informed: Utilize MEMA's real-time power outage viewer to stay informed about current power outages in your community and region, and across the state, including information from utility companies about restoration times. Utilize MEMA's live weather radar and forecasting tools. MassDOT | MBTA | Logan Airport | Amtrak Online Resources: Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency - on Facebook and Twitter Mass211 Federal Emergency Management Agency National Weather Service/Boston National Weather Service/Albany, NY
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Mass. Pike lane closures in Newton, Weston to cause heavy delays. Here's what you need to know
Weekend lane closures are in effect on the Mass. Pike as crews aim to replace the I-90 bridge over the MBTA railroad. The closures on I-90 will be between exits 123 and 125 in Weston and Newton, a two-mile stretch from the Ridgeway Road bridge in Weston to the Commonwealth Avenue overpass in Newton. MassDOT is reducing traffic to one lane in each direction until Monday at 5 a.m. 'They'll be demolishing the roof of that existing tunnel and then replacing it with prefabricated bridge unit. This will be happening over the next couple of days,' Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said. Peak traffic could cause up to three hours of delays and officials strongly advise drivers to avoid the area if possible. The project is also temporarily shutting down the commuter rail this weekend. 'They'll be on shuttle buses, that's both Amtrak and the MBTA out from as far as Worcester, if you're coming in, you're going to be on a shuttle bus; they have their own detour routes that they'll be using throughout the weekend,' Gulliver said. Phase two of the project will be the weekend of June 20th. buses. MassDOT says they are working with state and local law enforcement. Drivers are encouraged to make extra time, but also, most importantly, slow down. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Feds allege MBTA workers falsified track inspection reports
BOSTON (SHNS) – Four former MBTA inspectors and one current T supervisor pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal charges that they falsified Red Line track inspection records while using an agency garage as their own 'automobile repair shop.' Prosecutors alleged the quintet of employees submitted or greenlit reports last fall describing track inspection work, despite surveillance video showing them engaged in conversation, using cellphones or working on motor vehicles at the same times that the inspections supposedly took place. Prosecutors charged 62-year-old Ronald Gamble of Dorchester, 42-year-old Jensen Vatel of Brockton, 53-year-old Nathalie Mendes of New Bedford, 36-year-old Andy Vicente of Bridgewater and 47-year-old Brian Pfaffinger of Marshfield with falsification of records and making false statements. All five pleaded not guilty, according to U.S. Attorney Leah Foley's office. 'The charges are a federal overreach into an internal personnel matter which should be handled by the MBTA, not the court system,' said Michael Tumposky, an attorney for Gamble. 'Mr. Gamble looks forward to exonerating himself at the conclusion of this process.' Attorneys for the other four defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Prosecutors alleged in the 25-page indictment that the quintet and other unnamed Red Line employees 'treated and operated the Cabot Garage as an automobile repair shop during MBTA work hours.' The falsification of reports allegedly took place between at least Sept. 3 and Oct. 15, 2024 while the MBTA was approaching the end of a year-long repair campaign designed to eliminate subway speed restrictions required by federal regulators due to concerns about the state of MBTA infrastructure. IndictmentDownload Prosecutors alleged that each of the four inspectors in that span filed a report claiming to have examined Red Line tracks. But during the timeframes they claimed to be out on the system, surveillance cameras recorded Vicente working on non-MBTA vehicles, Mendes sitting inside her car, Vatel chatting with other employees outside the Cabot Yard garage, and Gamble inside the garage moving private vehicles. In one case, the indictment alleged, 'Gamble claimed to have verified four separate defects, on different tracks, within one minute,' in the final minute before his inspection ended. Pfaffinger, who according to prosecutors still works at the T, allegedly submitted a false work order for a falsified inspection report filed by Gamble covering a period of time when the two were together inside the garage. Foley's office said Pfaffinger 'allegedly not only knew that his subordinates worked on private vehicles during work hours, but had his subordinates work on his own vehicle.' WCVB reported in October that employees at Cabot Yard were on leave amid an investigation into whether they worked on personal vehicles while on the job. By December, a total of eight employees had been terminated in connection to the probe, according to WCVB. Gamble, Vatel, Mendes and Vicente no longer work at the MBTA, according to the indictment, which describes them as 'former' employees. The indictment calls Pfaffinger a current employee and 'previously a supervisor.' MBTA Transit Police referred the matter to the U.S. attorney's office last year, the T said. 'The MBTA thanks the U.S. Attorney's office for their thorough investigation and diligent work toward holding people accountable for alleged criminal activity. As a public agency, it is our responsibility to be good stewards of public resources and deliver safe and reliable service to transit users. That's why General Manager Phil Eng took immediate action to hold these employees accountable when this misconduct came to light,' MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said in a statement. 'Their actions do not reflect the values of the MBTA, and they will not impact the improvements we continue to make across the system. 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.' All five defendants face charges of making false statements and falsifying records. Inspections typically take place using MBTA-issued cellphones and an app called MaxTrax, according to the indictment. An inspector opens the app and walks the relevant length of track, recording any issues they observe, then confirms the process is complete by touching a finger to the phone and signing their name. The MBTA is overseen by the state Department of Public Utilities and by the Federal Transit Administration. The T conducted a major track overhaul campaign last year after a series of problems thrust infrastructure woes into the spotlight. Officials announced in November that successful repairs allowed the Red Line to run end-to-end without speed restrictions for the first time in at least 20 years. Also on Thursday, former MBTA Transit Police Sgt. David Finnerty was convicted of aiding and abetting the filing of a false report. Finnerty had been charged for helping to cover up the physical assault of a man by Transit Police Officer Dorston Bartlett. 'Finnerty helped Bartlett draft a false arrest report regarding the incident, with the intent to impede any federal investigation of Bartlett's unconstitutional use of force,' Foley's office wrote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
