Former WMATA employee indicted for allegedly stealing more than $100k worth of bus parts

UPPER MARLBORO, M.d. (FOX 5 DC) - A former Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) employee was indicted for one count of theft of over $100,000 and one count of theft under $100,000, the Office of the State’s Attorney for Prince George's County announced Tuesday.

A WMATA investigation uncovered evidence that from December 1, 2018 to January 31, 2019, 34-year-old David Wright, of Laurel, stole various bus engine parts to include fuel injectors, valves and sensors from WMATA’s inventory. The investigation also revealed that Wright sold the parts online to various businesses and/or individuals.

"The charges that Mr. Wright is facing are serious. Financial crimes can have devastating consequences and we will continue to take strong action to investigate and prosecute Mr. Wright," said State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy. "I want to thank the Office of the Inspector General at WMATA for your hard work on this case and for working with my Public Integrity Unit to bring this investigation to this point."

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"I would first like to thank the State’s Attorney for her commitment to prosecuting financial crimes. My office is committed to investigating allegations such as the ones presented in this case," Geoffrey Cherrington, WMATA Inspector General, said. "We will continue our mission to protect taxpayer funds and the riders of the Metro system. Should anyone have any information about fraud or other crimes against WMATA programs and operations, they should contact the WMATA OIG hotline by going to our website, wmataoig.gov."

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The total value of the amount of the inventory stolen is approximately $155,000.00. If convicted, Wright faces up to 20 years in prison.