Three TTC employees are accused of stealing as much as $20,000 in fares over the course of a year – less than three dollars at a time.

In the past week, three ticket collectors at some of the city's busiest subway stops – Union, Queen and Eglinton, all on the Yonge line – have been charged with theft under $5,000, as well as multiple counts of failing to collect a fare.

Toronto Transit Commission officials were alerted to the alleged fraud by a concerned rider, who noticed that after paying cash, they were simply waved through the turnstile by the collector. The employee is supposed to pass the fare back through the booth's window for the customer to deposit in the collection box.

"There's a couple of scenarios," said Toronto police Det. Rob Ermacora. "Someone will come up and give $5, but instead of breaking the bill, what happens is they'll give back the two and a quarter and keep the $2.75 (cash fare)."

Similarly, he continued, if someone bought four tokens, the suspect would pass the rider three, then pocket the fourth instead of putting it in the fare box.

The TTC's special constables launched an investigation with the assistance of Toronto police using surveillance cameras – there are two pointed at every collection booth – and undercover officers.

Yesterday morning, Toilane Fountain, 57, of Toronto, was arrested at the Queen station. Anthony Alfano, 65, of Whitby, and Kiran Sachdev, 56, of Toronto, were charged last Wednesday.

Each has been suspended without pay and will be fired if convicted, an official said.

Sachdev made more than $125,000 last year, earning a spot on the Ontario government's so-called sunshine list of public-sector salaries published annually.

He is to appear in court Sept. 3. The other two accused are scheduled to appear Aug. 31.

The transit commission estimates tens of thousands of dollars have been stolen, said TTC chair Adam Giambrone, who added the agency collects $900 million a year in fares.





With files from Tess Kalinowski