Edison Amtrak Supervisor Admits Overtime Fraud

EDISON, NJ - A former Amtrak supervisor who lives in Edison admitted Wednesday that he fraudulently overbilled Amtrak in overtime and regular hours that he claimed to be working, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Richard Vogel, 64, of Edison, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson in Newark federal court to an information charging him with converting to his own use federal government funds.

Vogel, who had been employed by Amtrak since January 1977 until he retired in July 2016, supervised approximately 35 employees in work gangs on the construction signals side of the Communications and Signals Department, New York Division. Between November 2015 and June 2016, Vogel fraudulently billed Amtrak for 41 regular hours and 685.75 overtime hours when he was not actually present at Amtrak work sites. It resulted in a loss to Amtrak of more than $71,000.

The count to which Vogel pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of one year in prison and fines of up to $250,000, or twice the gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for May 22, 2017. The plea agreement requires Vogel to make full restitution for losses related to his conduct in the amount of $71,946.