Second Arrest In Fake MBTA Passes Scam
BOSTON (CBS/AP) - Authorities have made a second arrest in connection with what's being called the biggest case of fare fraud in MBTA history.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Bernice Corpuz reports
Podcast
Gloria Escobar, 27, of Revere, was arraigned Friday in Salem District Court along with Andres Townes, also 27 and from Revere, who was arrested Thursday.
Attorney General Martha Coakley says Townes produced millions of dollars' worth of counterfeit monthly passes for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority that were sold online at discounted rates.
WBZ-TV's Alana Gomez reports.
They are charged with larceny over $250 and conspiracy to commit larceny over $250. Both pleaded not guilty. Townes was ordered held on $250,000 cash bail, and Escobar was ordered held on $100,000 cash bail.
Townes worked at Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc., a company contracted by the MBTA to produce passes. Escobar did not work for Cubic or the MBTA. She was only described as a "female associate" of Townes.
Coakley says the fake ones were virtually undetectable. It was a conductor on the MBCR that noticed a pass that was a slightly different color. After confiscating the ticket and conducting an interview, the MBTA says it discovered hundreds of similar passes being used by passengers. These passes were authentic, but fraudulently produced.
Townes is accused of selling passes back to November 2007. Some of the passes he allegedly made were dated for future use all the way to November 2012.
The MBTA warns customers it does not sell passes through Craigslist, private listings, or at a discounted price. Passengers who are concerned that they may have a fraudulent pass should contact the MBTA Transit Police at 617-222-1160.
(TM and © Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
