Morristown Man Scammed Atlanta Transit Out Of $400K: Prosecutor

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A Morristown man is accused of scamming the Atlanta transit authority out of nearly $400,000, Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp said.

Pedro Lopez-Hernandez, 38, faces multiple charges, including money laundering and theft by deception, in connection to the email scam scheme, Knapp said. Lopez-Hernandez is accused of sending a fake email to the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) asking for two payments totaling $399,024.

Lopez-Hernandez sent the email from a real email address associated with a vendor MARTA uses, Knapp said, and the transit authority deposited the money directly into Lopez-Hernandez's bank account. He then took the money out of his account using wire transfers and cash withdrawals, Knapp said.

In addition to money laundering and theft by deception, Lopez-Hernandez is charged with receiving stolen property and conspiracy to commit theft by deception.

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