Chainsaw Thefts Draw Prison Sentence For Ex-Amtrak Engineer From Brick

TRENTON, NJ — A former Amtrak engineer from Brick Township man has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for stealing more than $76,000 in chainsaws and chainsaw parts from Amtrak and then selling them for profit, federal authorities announced Tuesday.

Jose Rodriguez, 49, of Brick, had pleaded guilty in December to one count of mail fraud before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, who imposed the sentence on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.

Rodriguez had been an Amtrak employee since October 2007, most recently as a senior engineer and repairman, based in North Brunswick, Sellinger said.

From March 2012 and July 2020, Rodriguez obtained at least 114 chainsaws, 122 chainsaw replacement bars, and 222 replacement chains from Amtrak, valued at more than $76,000, under the false pretense the equipment would be used for Amtrak projects, Sellinger said.

He then sold the equipment, either on an online auction service or directly to purchasers, authorities said. Rodriguez shipped the chainsaws and chainsaw parts via the U.S. Postal Service to buyers throughout the United States, including purchasers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

In addition to the prison term, Quraishi sentenced Rodriguez to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $76,379 and forfeiture of $53,381.

Sellinger credited detectives from Amtrak Police New York Division and Mid-Atlantic Division, under the direction of Chief Sam Dotson, and special agents from Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Waters, Eastern Field Office, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

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