Morristown & Erie official indicted in fraud!

You never like to hear something like this, but it needs to be posted in my mind!


http://www.northjersey.com/news/Former_ ... state.html

"TRENTON - The former head of a Morristown-based freight railway company and another former employee have been indicted for defrauding the state of more than $800,000 in grants, the state Attorney General's Office said.

Over the course of about eight years, the two men submitted invoices for more than $1.3 million in railway work to the state Department of Transportation, and received $804,090 in reimbursement grants, the office said in a news release. But only about $53,000 worth of work was done, the release said."

I had a feeling something like this would come out. Perhaps Morris County should find a new operator for the Chester and High Bridge Branches! It's not like M&E has made a lot of progress in finding new customers in the area.........

As to the county owned lines as I recall there were no other bidders when the contract was last up for renewal. Malfeasance in one area does not translate, necessarily, to all. The high bridge line is a hard one - Toy's is still there just not using rail so not like m&e can help market a vacant property to a potential rail user. Much of the rest of the line is in residential areas.

The$53,000 in actual work number strikes me as either a typo or inaccurate. You can't sneeze without spending that much money on a track project of any significance. Article doen't specify what work was involved - assuming RAhway Valley but that makes the number even more odd given the amount of work that was done. Admittedly the work doesn't connect to anything but way more than 53k in labor and materials.

Trainlawyer wrote:Ahem...

GME

Come again????

I believe this all relates to the Rahway Valley rehab project, not the county owned lines. Lots of state money spent, no customers, no service-

i think sirsonic just lit up a cigar.........

its about time.......

EDM5970 wrote:I believe this all relates to the Rahway Valley rehab project, not the county owned lines. Lots of state money spent, no customers, no service-

Seems like a running theme with the M&E... They should investigate their doings on the Stourbridge Line next...

markyk wrote:i think sirsonic just lit up a cigar.........

its about time.......

Just think, thats all they KNOW he swindled. I hope they dont have to sell those pretty red alcos to cover the money.....

The other individual is a player in the NHI/PNRR now.

And Gordon Fuller was somehow involved with the WNY&P, although not with the parent LA&L (they only own 51% of the subsidiary).

Wolf

Does NHI/PNRR have anything to do with East Penn and their holdings?

On today episode of "As the Wheel Turns" .........

I got a chuckle out of it, I have to admit. It was so obvious when they were "rebuilding" the SIRT and RVRR.

I bet one would get a good read if they went though the old threads on here about the rebuilding of the lines and the posts in the threads "as they happened"

Glad to see someone was paying attention and took action.

I have noticed in the meantime since Mr. Fuller has left the MandE that there has a reduction in the purchasing of locos and cars, many of which were ultimately scrapped.....hmmmmm

What loco? What money? I dunno what your talking about? (walks away whistling with hands in pocket)

Jtgshu wrote:On today episode of "As the Wheel Turns" .........

I got a chuckle out of it, I have to admit. It was so obvious when they were "rebuilding" the SIRT and RVRR.

I bet one would get a good read if they went though the old threads on here about the rebuilding of the lines and the posts in the threads "as they happened"

Glad to see someone was paying attention and took action.

I have noticed in the meantime since Mr. Fuller has left the MandE that there has a reduction in the purchasing of locos and cars, many of which were ultimately scrapped.....hmmmmm

What loco? What money? I dunno what your talking about? (walks away whistling with hands in pocket)

" We can't run trains yet because the crossing lights don't work." That was the best one, meanwhile there are 2 miles worth of empty/ or loaded covered hoppers on the line in storage for their "customer" ConocoPhillips.


To MarkyK, I'm not sure. I had heard originally that PNR(R) was a combo NHI and ESPN outfit. But it seems to me that its more NHI than ESPN. Frank might know since hes part of a ESPN outfit now.

Interestingly enough, the covered Hoppers virtually disappeared late last week from the "storage area" in Cranford.......not sure if coincidental or not...think there is one left,


also they spent taxpayers money on bridge beams, supports, whatever laying in the weeds in Bayway........and concrete supports for crossing upgrades, also laying in the weeds at most crossings in Cranford/Roselle

MY TAX MONEY

I just saw the indictment and it specifically says the alleged fraud was for the Kenvil Team Track, Kenvil Scale Track, Cedar Knolls Team Track and Passaic River Bridge.

Steamtown Observer wrote:I just saw the indictment and it specifically says the alleged fraud was for the Kenvil Team Track, Kenvil Scale Track, Cedar Knolls Team Track and Passaic River Bridge.

So please explain to me what this means?? Where was the money that went to rebuild these 4 items supposed to go???

While I'm not shocked, I am still Confused by this whole fiasco as to where the money went and where it was supposed to go!!!