A subway security guard assigned to curb fare evasion has been accused of doing the opposite, after investigators say she was caught accepting cash from riders and letting them through the turnstiles using a student-issued OMNY card, the NY Post reports.

According to a report released Thursday by MTA Inspector General Daniel Cort, the guard was seen on surveillance footage allowing passengers into a Brooklyn station by tapping them through with a Department of Education OMNY card that had been stolen.

The report did not name the employee, who was taken off subway duty after a commuter at the Eighth Avenue station in Brooklyn reported the alleged scheme last year.

“The gate guards are paid to deter farebeating and provide a sense of security to the riding public, not to improperly sell subway system entry and pocket the cash,” Cort said in a statement.

“I am grateful to the rider who reported this misconduct and appreciate NYC Transit’s thorough response, which led to the guard’s removal from working in the subway system.”

The guard, described as a “gate security guard,” was working for Allied Security Services, a contractor hired by the MTA to help reduce fare evasion.

The incident is the latest in a series involving Allied Security personnel accused of enabling free rides rather than preventing them.

In May of last year, Allied Universal Security Services guards were observed at the Herald Square station opening emergency exit doors on multiple occasions, allowing groups of fare evaders to enter without paying.

The guard at the center of the latest case began working on June 3, 2024, and was stationed at the Eighth Avenue stop, the report said. She told investigators she had received no formal training and had no prior background in the role.

After a tip was received in July, investigators reviewed surveillance footage that showed her, on at least five occasions between July 14 and July 18, taking cash from riders through the security barrier and then using the card to grant them entry.

The report noted that in three separate instances — twice on July 17 and once on July 18 — she appeared to return money to riders after initially taking it.

When questioned, the guard first said she was using her own OMNY card. After being told the card was linked to a student account, she claimed she had found it on the street.

“The Security Guard improperly accepted cash from customers for her personal gain, and by doing so, she stole money from NYC Transit,” the report said.

Investigators concluded that her actions violated Allied Security’s Code of Ethics and “would likely constitute the criminal offense of petit larceny,” though they did not pursue criminal charges due to the relatively small amount involved.

“This guard will never work on MTA property again,” said MTA Chief Security Officer Michael Kemper. “Taking cash to illegally swipe riders into the subway is the exact conduct this person was assigned to prevent.”

The MTA stopped accepting cash payments for fares in April 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 shutdown, shifting to a fully cashless system that relies on OMNY cards, bank cards, or similar methods.

As a result, access to the subway now requires an OMNY card, a MetroCard, or a contactless payment option.

Fare evasion continues to cost the transit system heavily, with the MTA estimating losses of about $900 million annually across its bus and subway networks.

{Matzav.com}