High bails levied vs. Revere pair in MBTA pass scam

SALEM – A Revere couple who allegedly produced millions of dollars worth of counterfeit MBTA monthly passes and sold them online at discounted rates bilking the state out of $4 million in transit fare pleaded not guilty Friday at their arraignment in Salem Superior Court.Andres M. Townes, 27, and Gloria C. Escobar, 27, of 68 Emmanuel St., Revere, each pleaded not guilty to larceny over $250 and conspiracy before Judge Kimberly Budd.Townes also entered a not- guilty plea to falsifying books and Escobar a not-guilty plea to receiving stolen property over $250.Budd set bail on Townes at $15,000 cash and Escobar at $7,500, despite the prosecutor urging that it remain the same as set earlier in District Court.Townes remains held in lieu of bail at the Middleton Jail and Escobar at Framingham State Prison for Women.They were taken back to their holding facilities and are not expected to make bail at this time.Attorney General Martha Coakley?s office brought the charges against the couple before a grand jury and indictments were returned against them by an Essex County grand jury last month.The allegations pertain to a scheme that occurred between March of 2009 and March of 2011.Townes worked as a supervisor in Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc., in Beverly, who was subcontracted by the MBTA to handle the sale and fulfillment of MBTA ticket order.Townes allegedly manipulated the system by altering dates and entries so he could activate the Charlie Passes and sold them on websites, including Craigslist at a discounted rate for cash only.Escobar allegedly worked with Townes and met the ticket buyers but, after several months of selling tickets to one buyer, the couple would often offer to send the tickets by mail and directed the buyer to make payment in the form of a money order and send it to a post office box.The couple often used the alias names of Rich and Lisa Rohan to sell the tickets, according to the statement of the case filed with the court by Assistant Attorney General Gina Masotta.The investigation began on March 11 when a conductor of the MBTA noticed a pass that appeared different in color. The passenger said it had gone through the laundry and that he had purchased the pass on Craigslist.The pass was confiscated and turned over to MBTA Transit Police.Further investigation by the Attorney General?s office revealed that the printed serial number in the MBTA database did not show the card had ever been activated. Soon after, the MBTA discovered hundreds of similar passes in use by passengers.The monthly passes have a value of up to $250 each, depending on the zone from where one is traveling to and from.Prosecutors alleged that Towers produced more than 22,000 tickets for use in the months ranging from May 2009 through November of 2012, having a value of over $4 million dollars.When the couple were arrested, they “made extensive admissions,” according to the court papers.Their next scheduled court date is Oct. 5 for a pretrial hearing.