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State Attorney Subpoenas JTA Records in Criminal Probe of $39 Million Shortfall
The State Attorney's Office has subpoenaed Jacksonville Transportation Authority records to determine whether the agency's books concealed a $39 million budget hole and who knew about it. The subpoena, delivered last week, seeks financial documents, emails, and texts from interim CEO Cleveland Ferguson, while nearly 200 workers have been laid off and bus service cut.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. â The State Attorney's Office has opened a criminal investigation into the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, subpoenaing records to determine whether the agency's financial books concealed a $39 million shortfall and who was aware of it.
The eight-page subpoena, hand-delivered last Thursday to JTA headquarters in LaVilla, orders interim CEO Cleveland Ferguson to produce a wide range of documents by Nov. 20. The demand reaches into nearly every corner of JTA's finances, from financial statements and budgets to emails and text messages, including communications on personal phones and encrypted apps like Signal and WhatsApp.
State Attorney Melissa Nelson's office is specifically asking for records concerning "decisions to delay recording liabilities or change the timing of recognition of revenues or expenses." Prosecutors also want documents showing when the shortfall was communicated to JTA's board, city officials, auditors, and funding agencies, as well as any warnings from current or former board members.
Former Florida Bar President Michelle Suskauer, who reviewed the subpoena at the request of a reporter, described it as "a complete fishing expedition" and said prosecutors appear to be "looking for some sort of fraud." She noted the subpoena covers "everything from finance to procurement to everything with your board members."
The State Attorney General's office has already issued three criminal subpoenas to the agency, and the City Council has launched its own review. A subpoena is not an accusation, and no one has been charged.
JTA said in a statement that it "is committed to transparency and is cooperating fully throughout this process."
The investigation comes as JTA riders are already feeling the impact of the shortfall. Nearly 200 workers have been laid off, and bus service has been cut.
The subpoena also revisits a prior disclosure that JTA employees were paid to ride the agency's Navi shuttle service, inflating ridership figures at taxpayer expense. Prosecutors are seeking pay records and timesheets for those employees.
The probe adds to mounting scrutiny of the agency's finances and management, with the community facing reduced transit options while prosecutors examine whether the books were manipulated to hide the depth of the problem.