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<\/p>\nBROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) \u2014 An MTA security guard is accused of \u201cnickeling\u201d the transit system by exchanging cash for swipes at a Brooklyn subway station last year, authorities said Thursday.<\/p>\n
The guard, who was hired to combat fare evasion, allegedly took cash from straphangers before using a student OMNY card to swipe them through at the Eighth Avenue-62nd Street subway station, according to the MTA Inspector General\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
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The guard was caught on video exchanging cash for swipes at the Brooklyn subway station in July 2025, officials said. (Credit: MTA Inspector General\u2019s Office)<\/p>\n
The unidentified guard was caught in the act on surveillance video five times in July 2025, officials said. A subway rider reported the guard, who was employed by an MTA contractor.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth station agents and security guards are expressly forbidden from exchanging cash for access to the subway system, a practice known internally as \u2018nickeling’\u201d, the MTA IG report said.<\/p>\n
In an interview with officials, the security guard admitted to some of the incidents and claimed she did it because she felt bad for the passengers who didn\u2019t have money to pay the subway fare, authorities said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe security guard again apologized and admitted that she found that OMNY Card on 18th Street in Brooklyn and was using it during the above-described incidents,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n
The MTA has prohibited the security guard from working on any
MTA property or contracts, officials said.<\/p>\n
Mira Wassef is an award-winning reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined the PIX11 News digital team in 2022. See more of her work here.<\/a> <\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n