NEW YORK (AP) - An employee of the Metro-North commuter railroad was suspended without pay and could be fired from his job after calling in sick and then appearing to be one of the people on an FBI poster of those who had stormed inside the U.S. Capitol.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority confirmed Will Pepe’s suspension effective immediately, saying in a statement Friday that the “alleged conduct is abhorrent and goes against the values of Metro-North, New York and the nation.”
No criminal charges have been filed against Pepe, a laborer at Metro-North’s train yard in Brewster, New York. The MTA said it is also conducting its own investigation.
A message seeking comment was left at a number listed for Pepe.
A man who appeared to be Pepe was shown in a collage of photographs on an FBI “Seeking Information” poster related to Wednesday’s violence at the Capitol. He is seen wearing an American flag bandana around his neck while appearing to hold his cell phone out for a selfie or live stream.
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