Toll-takers charged with skimming cash

By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff

Ten toll-takers at the Ted Williams and Sumner Tunnels have been charged with larceny after an investigation by State Police and prosecutors found that they were routinely skimming up to $150 per shift.

Under one scheme, prosecutors said, they would collect a higher toll from taxis but count them as regular cars and then pocket the difference. Under another scheme, they would collect tolls from two cars, but only count them as one.

The toll-takers were videotaped for three months.Over that period, the Suffolk District Attorney's office said, they took in a total of $5,000 to $10,000. It is unclear how long the scam had been going on.

The toll-takers also face charges of fraudulent recordkeeping. They will be summonsed to appear for arraignment in the Central Division of the Boston Municipal Court Department, prosecutors said.

“This was the very definition of a violation of the public trust," District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said in a statement.

“The current leadership at the Turnpike deserves praise for recognizing this hole in its system, alerting law enforcement, and moving quickly to take corrective, system-wide action to prevent further theft. Our task now is to ensure that these defendants are held accountable and that the people of Massachusetts obtain full restitution for these thefts," he said.

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