A subway security guard tasked with stopping fare evasion has been caught doing the exact opposite. The guard was filmed accepting cash from riders in exchange for letting them through the gates at a Brooklyn station.
The scheme relied on a stolen Department of Education OMNY card. This card was intended for student use but was instead used to facilitate unauthorized entry into the transit system.
WHAT HAPPENED
The incident took place at the Eighth Avenue station in Brooklyn. A rider noticed the suspicious activity and alerted authorities, which triggered an investigation by the MTA Inspector General’s office.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from July 2025. The video showed the guard accepting cash from riders on at least five separate occasions between July 14 and July 18. In some instances, the guard was seen returning change to the riders.
When confronted by investigators, the guard initially claimed she was using her own personal OMNY card. After being told the card was registered as a student pass, she changed her story and claimed she had found it on the street.
FACT BOX
BY THE NUMBERS* $900 million — Estimated annual loss to the MTA from fare evasion on buses and trains.
- 5 — Number of documented occasions the guard was caught on camera accepting cash.
- July 2024 — The month the guard was hired by the MTA contractor.### CHARGES FILED* Petit larceny — Potential criminal offense identified by the Inspector General.### KEY DATEThe guard was hired on June 3, 2024, and assigned to the Eighth Avenue station. The illicit activity was captured on surveillance video between July 14 and July 18, 2025.
THE BIGGER QUESTION
This incident highlights the ongoing struggle the MTA faces with fare evasion. The agency loses nearly a billion dollars annually to people skipping the fare, which puts a strain on the entire transit system.
The use of private security contractors to police the subways has also come under scrutiny. When guards are hired without proper training or experience, the system becomes vulnerable to the very misconduct they are supposed to prevent.
THE OTHER SIDE
The guard claimed she had received no formal training for the position and had no prior experience in security work. While this might explain a lack of professional conduct, it does not excuse the intentional act of taking cash for unauthorized access. The evidence provided by the surveillance footage appears to be quite strong, making the defense of ignorance or lack of training difficult to sustain.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW
The MTA has confirmed that the guard will never work on their property again. MTA Chief Security Officer Michael Kemper stated that the guard's actions were the exact behavior she was hired to stop.
The MTA Inspector General’s office decided that the theft was small enough that it did not warrant a formal criminal referral. However, the guard remains under scrutiny for violating the contractor's code of ethics.
WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW
- How the guard originally obtained the stolen student OMNY card.
- Whether other guards at the same station or elsewhere are engaging in similar schemes.
- Why the contractor, Allied Security Services, failed to provide adequate training to the guard before placing her in a high-traffic station.
SOURCE NOTE
This report is based on findings from the MTA Inspector General’s office. All charges are allegations — the guard is presumed innocent until proven guilty.