Aug 18, 2008 8:37 pm US/Eastern
MBTA Worker Accused Of Stealing Fares Is Fired
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Carrasquillo was responsible for transporting money from the fare boxes to the MBTA vault.
WBZ
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Gilberto Carrasquillo, 43, of Dorchester
WBZ
The MBTA employee accused of stealing fares collected during Red Sox games was fired after his appearance in Boston Municipal court on Monday.
Gilberto Carrasquillo, 43, of Dorchester worked for the T for 22 years. Carrasquillo's termination was announced by General Manager Daniel Grabauskas Monday afternoon.
As a Senior Revenue Collection Agent he was responsible for taking money from fare drop boxes to the MBTA vault.
The drop boxes are used to expedite fare collection during events that draw high subway traffic, like Red Sox games. Transit Police say that is exactly when Carrasquillo took advantage of the system, stealing fares collected at the Fenway and Kenmore stations.
Police set up a sting over the weekend to catch Carrasquillo. They dropped about $300 in marked currency into the fare boxes that he would be moving Saturday night. When the money inside the boxes was audited Sunday morning, police say only one of the marked bills was still inside.
When moving money from the fare boxes to the vault, employees work in pairs. According to court documents, Carrasquillo allegedly stole the money when his partner was using the restroom.
Carrasquillo allegedly told police when his partner said he had to go to the bathroom, he suggested they stop at the Hotel Commonwealth instead of waiting to get back to the station, where they were to drop off the cash.
When the coworker went into the hotel, Carrasquillo allegedly took the money out of the bag. What Carrasquillo did not realize was that he was being targeted in a sting.
Prosecutors allege Carrasquillo stole about $600 over the weekend. Court documents state he admitted to taking cash on four previous occasions.
His partner told WBZ's Kathy Curran he didn't realize what was going on.
In his job as Senior Revenue Collection Agent, Carrasquillo made a salary of about $70,000 a year.
In court Monday, prosecutors did not seek to hold him on bail and he was released on his own recognizance.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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