NEW YORK (VINnews) — A security guard assigned to help deter fare evasion in New York City’s subway system has been removed from duty after investigators said she accepted cash from riders in exchange for allowing them through station gates.

According to an investigation released Thursday by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s inspector general, the guard allegedly used a student transit card to grant access to multiple riders at a Brooklyn subway station over several days last summer.
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Officials said surveillance footage appeared to show the employee taking money from passengers before tapping them into the system. The guard worked for a private security contractor hired by the MTA to assist with station security and fare enforcement.

A contracted subway security guard was caught on video accepting cash from subway customers and tapping them into the system in exchange for cash, which she then pocketed, an OIG investigation found.

Read the report: https://t.co/gQPxwwzPsT pic.twitter.com/UePP1hQZGY

— MTA Inspector General (@mtaoig) May 14, 2026

Investigators said the employee initially denied wrongdoing before later claiming the transit card had been found.

Transit officials said the worker violated agency policies and will no longer be allowed to work on MTA property.

The case highlights ongoing challenges facing the transit system as officials attempt to reduce fare evasion, which the MTA says results in significant annual revenue losses.