Metro News Release

For immediate release: August 3, 2011

Metro Transit Police Arrest Four for Theft

UPDATE 1: A second and final former employee, Lakisha Gardin, age 34, has been arrested in this matter as of 3p.m. Wednesday, August 3.  Text of release below was updated accordingly.

UPDATE 2: Corrects spelling of Jacobs' first name.  The correct spelling is "Empriss."  

Metro Transit Police today arrested two current Metro employees and two former employees for theft and conspiracy to commit theft, in connection with their jobs at the Authority.

Former employees Alfred Atanga, age 50, and Lakisha Gardin, age 34; and current employees Empriss Jacobs, age 28, and Keesha Richardson, age 32, were charged with theft valued at an estimated total of $25,000 from Metro’s information call center operation.

A joint investigation led by Metro Transit Police with the Office of Inspector General found evidence of wrongdoing that was submitted to the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for review. The case was presented to the Grand Jury, which returned indictments against the four.

The complaint alleges that the former supervisor, Mr. Atanga, provided the three employees – all customer information specialists – pay for hours that were not worked in Metro’s Office of Customer Service. Following the arrests, the two current employees were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an administrative investigation, as provided for in Metro’s collective bargaining agreement.

News release issued at 2:07 pm, August 3, 2011.