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According to San Mateo County authorities, two former employees of Caltrain, a key mass transit system bridging Silicon Valley and San Francisco, have been charged with misuse of public funds after they had spent money to construct personal living spaces within train station premises.

Joseph Vincent Navarro, previously a deputy director at Caltrain, and Seth Andrew Worden, associated with TransAmerica Services Inc., face felony charges following accusations of allocating public resources for private benefits.

Prosecutors allege that between 2019 and 2020, Navarro, in collaboration with Worden, allegedly directed $42,000 toward transforming an office at Caltrain’s Burlingame station into an apartment for Navarro’s use. Worden is also accused of spending $8,000 of public funds to create a similar setup at the Millbrae station. It was revealed that both individuals attempted to avoid detection by ensuring that no single invoice exceeded $3,000, thus bypassing the need for additional approval from either Caltrain or TransAmerica Services Inc.

The discovery of these unauthorized constructions came to light when Caltrain employees stumbled upon the modified space at the Millbrae station in 2020, with further investigation into Navarro’s Burlingame apartment following an anonymous tip in 2022. Following the revelation, Navarro was terminated from his position after admitting to using the station for residential purposes, prompting an immediate referral to the district attorney’s office for potential criminal charges.

Caltrain’s Executive Director, Michelle Bouchard, emphasized the agency’s commitment to integrity, stating, “The misuse of public funds for private use is a violation of the law, Caltrain policy, and the public’s trust.”