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“Overtime King” Thomas Caputo and four other current and former MTA employees face up to 10 years in prison for federal program fraud for collecting overtime when not actually at work. It’s a small measure of justice in a huge scandal uncovered by The Post and the Empire Center for Public Policy.
It’s been more than 18 months since the Empire Center reported blatant excessive OT at Long Island Rail Road and other MTA branches, and The Post followed up with a series of investigative reports. This prompted the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI to take legal action against some of the more egregious cheaters.
Caputo, for his part, drew more than $ 344,000 in overtime in 2018 alone – a total that exceeds all other MTA employees, including the president. Now the federal government has proof that he was at a bowling alley despite being timed at least twice.
Subway maintenance supervisor Michael Gundersen should have averaged 10 overtime a day to reach his nearly 4,000 overtime recorded in 2018, but he was out of state for part of his ‘working’ time – on vacation in Virginia, according to the federal government: and at an Atlantic City concert.
In April 2019, the Empire Center found that the MTA’s overtime pay had jumped 16% last year. Because he has waged lengthy court battles to obtain individual information on the wages and pensions of public sector employees, he also pointed out Caputo and other “stars” – and The Post made sure officials could not continue to close their eyes.
Yet the OT scam is also a scam in retirement, since the extra salary also means higher retirement payments. Indeed, Caputo retired after his “good fortune” was revealed and drew $ 144,000 in the first year. Now the MTA is getting ready to cut his pension and recover the amount he unfairly received.
Governor Cuomo claims the five defendants are just “bad apples.” Ha! The LIRR’s overtime soared after a previous retirement scam came to light – that almost all of its retirees were entitled to lucrative disability pensions.
Now the MTA must be on the lookout for the next program to increase pensions, as many LIRR workers in particular clearly believe they have a right to cheat taxpayers.
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