Continue reading

A pair of former WMATA employees pleaded guilty Monday afternoon to charges that they stole thousands of dollars worth of fare from the agency.

Authorities say Horace McDade and John Haile stole thousands of dollars in coins while they repairs broke fare machines. They're scheduled for sentencing on June 15.

Prosecutors say that McDade, a fare machine repairman, and Haile, the police officer, came up with a get-rich-quick plan that they executed from 2010 through January of this year. During their spree, they allegedly got away with thousands of dollars.

In January, prosecutors accused McDade, 58, and Haile, 54, of systematically stealing bags of coins while making their rounds at Metro stations throughout Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Court records state that Haile allegedly would change his work schedule to work directly with McDade, who would then stash the stolen funds near an underpass close to the agency's Revenue Collection Facility. After that, prosecutors say they'd deposit the money in bank accounts or launder it through thousands of lottery tickets.

It is believed that McDade and Haile stole as much as $600,000 from WMATA over three years.

However, that well ran dry when a convenience store clerk reported that Haile was routinely buying lottery tickets with bags of coins worth $500 each.

The judge at Monday's plea hearing say she hoped to make McDade and Haile an example for other WMATA employees who who might want to rip off their employer, but Haile's attorney said there was one question that was left unanswered in court.

"How could they do this and Metro not know about it?" Stephen Bullock, Haile's attorney, said. "You will have to ask Metro."