Berkeley - University of California Police have arrested Kimya McFadden, 29, a UC Berkeley employee who oversaw transit ticket sales, for embezzlement. McFadden, a Richmond resident, is scheduled to be arraigned in Alameda County Superior Court in Berkeley on Thursday, May 30, on felony theft charges. UC Berkeley police investigators believe she stole high-value BART, AC Transit and other transit tickets totaling more than $250,000 over a 12-month period.Also arrested was Zikomo J. Robinson, 26, of Oakland. He was arrested in San Francisco for possession of stolen property. He is not a UC employee. UCPD’s criminal investigation continues and additional suspects have been identified. In addition, the campus’s internal auditors are also investigating.
McFadden worked at the campus-run Berkeley TRiP Commute Store, which sells transit tickets for Bay Area transit agencies and provides other services as part of the university’s efforts to promote public transit and minimize traffic congestion in the city of Berkeley.
The commute store is operated by the university in conjunction with the city. It serves both university employees and city residents. Last year, sales of BART, AC Transit and other transit tickets and passes at the store totaled $2.2 million.
McFadden was hired as an administrative assistant to work at the TRiP store in March 2001. She was temporarily assigned as a supervisor overseeing the cashiering operations in September 2001. She has been on investigative leave since her arrest on May 10 and proceedings to dismiss her from university employment are underway.
The arrests follow an extensive investigation by University of California Police and BART.
