WASHINGTON, D.C. – A WMATA employee, Tyrone Hunter, 52, of Seat Pleasant, MD, has been charged with two counts each of extortion and bribery related to federal programs. The indictment alleges that Hunter used his position to demand and accept bribes from a customer in exchange for favorable treatment during two surplus property transactions.
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, along with Wayne A. Jacobs from the FBI Washington Field Office and WMATA Inspector General Rene Febles, announced the charges. Hunter, an Investment Recovery Administrator for WMATA’s Office of Property Reutilization and Disposition Services, had his first court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxilla A. Upadhyaya in the District of Columbia.
The indictment further details that while WMATA allows customers to inspect vehicles at no cost, it prohibits test drives. All surplus property sales are finalized on an “as is” basis without the option for refunds. Despite these regulations, Hunter allegedly asked a WMATA customer for payment in return for the chance to inspect and test drive paratransit vans on sale as surplus property before placing a bid.
It is important to note that an indictment is simply an accusation. Defendants are given the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise in a court of law.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office and the WMATA Office of Inspector General are spearheading the investigation of this case. Prosecution is being handled by the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.