There’s concern that millions of dollars of fuel is at risk of going out the back door of the Metro system around D.C.
“We found that millions of gallons of fuel are at risk of theft without detection,” Metro Inspector General Geoffrey Cherrington told Metro board members Thursday.
The fuel is meant for Metro’s support vehicles that don’t carry passengers.
Cherrington’s report states that between mid-2016 and mid-2019, there were about $2 million of questionable fuel transactions.
The report said current and former employees could easily pump fuel into unauthorized vehicles, using codes that gave the appearance of a valid transaction.
Additionally, “At nine of 15 WMATA fueling locations, OIG entered the facilities without showing a WMATA employee badge,” Cherrington said.
In response to the report, Metro leadership said it welcomes the opportunity to improve oversight of the fuel management program.
But Metro also pointed out the value of the at-risk fuel represents only 3% of the total amount spent on fuel over the three-year period that was looked at, and that the cost of additional oversight might outweigh the savings.
