A Cuyahoga County Grand Jury has indicted three women on charges of fraudulently using public transportation designed to serve the disabled and instead provide rides for themselves, friends and family, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty said Thursday.
Pamela G. Mason, 61, of Euclid, was charged with one count each of theft in office, tampering with records, and identity fraud. Mason is a former Regional Transit Authority Paratransit dispatcher who retired in 2015.
Linda Williams, 64, of Cleveland, was charged with two counts of identity fraud and one count of theft. She is a former RTA employee who now works for a company that contracts with RTA to provide Paratransit rides.
Trina Thompson, 48, of Cleveland, was charged with one count of theft in office. Thompson was suspended Thursday from her job as an RTA Paratransit dispatcher.
Evidence gathered by investigators showed the three women extensively abused the service for personal use and for use by family members, including trips to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Cavs games, Indians games, Browns games, political events, personal errands, and transportation to and from work and school.
“By using government-paid drivers and vehicles for their own benefit, they stole those services from the elderly and disabled,” McGinty said.
Investigators learned the scam involved hundreds of rides dating all the way back to 2008.
Evidence also showed that the women's personal use of the service prevented some disabled riders from being able to use the program themselves.
McGinty said Mason is accused of arranging the majority of the fraudulent rides by dispatching them as "unknown" riders or falsely setting up the rides under the name of a dead veteran. The veteran used the Paratransit service before his death and was cared for by Williams. Williams took several rides under the man's name.
The investigation into this case began nearly a year ago after an RTA audit identified issues regarding the dispatch and use of Paratransit services. RTA immediately launched an internal investigation and in March 2015 the case was turned over to the prosecutor's office.
“We also took immediate action to stop the improper use of Paratransit services, and to identify those involved and to put measures in place to best assure that his never happens again,” said RTA Chief Executive Officer Joe Calabrese. “We have been cooperating throughout in the investigation, and we were careful not to take any actions that could have jeopardized the process or the outcome.”
According to RTA, Paratransit services are provided to those who have been certified as ADA-eligible due to a physical or mental disability that prevents them from using RTA's regular buses and trains.
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