Overview
- Federal prosecutors filed a superseding indictment on Friday, July 10, 2026, that expands earlier charges and led to the arrests of three additional people while widening conspiracy and wire-fraud counts against four defendants.
- The seven defendants are Brian Pfaffinger, Ronald Gamble, Magda Trinh, Jensen Vatel, Nathalie Mendes, Danny Barbosa, and Matthew Leonard, with Pfaffinger identified as the team supervisor and several others as Red Line track inspectors.
- Prosecutors allege the group used MBTA-issued phones and the MaxTrax app to create falsified track-inspection records by inventing train numbers and lengthening inspection times to hide missed work.
- Authorities say some inspectors stayed inside Cabot Yard and worked on private vehicles during paid hours, that overtime sheets were falsified to cover that time, and that the supervisor directed subordinates to work on his personal car.
- The MBTA says it investigated, disciplined staff and referred the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the charges carry federal penalties while raising concerns about the integrity of routine safety and maintenance oversight.