Paratransit official in probe ID'd; Missing $45,300 is investigated.

• Position: LOCAL NEWS

Byline: Lee Hammel

WORCESTER - The operational head of Paratransit Brokerage Service Inc. was placed on unpaid administrative leave after an audit uncovered about $45,300 in missing cash.

Brenda Ozan-Pitts is the director or operational head of PBSI, which operates out of the Worcester Regional Transit Authority office at 317 Main St. The company schedules van and taxi service for people with disabilities and elderly people who qualify for paratransit service.

PBSI President John F. Carney announced the administrative leave Aug. 20, but did not name which employee had been placed on leave. PBSI is part of Professional Transit Management, the Loveland, Ohio, company that manages WRTA fixed route and paratransit services. Mr. Carney is also general manager of RTA Transit Services, which is the operational name of the fixed route bus service that PTM operates for WRTA.

Worcester police are investigating the missing money, which Mr. Carney said disappeared between February and Aug. 15 of this year. Mr. Carney said he does not know the progress of their investigation, and Worcester police said Wednesday that they do not want to comment beyond saying that they expect the "prolonged, in-depth" investigation into the missing money to "take some time."

Robert E. Amorello, a Worcester lawyer representing Ms. Ozan-Pitts, said he did not want to comment.

A number of people who work with Ms. Ozan-Pitts expressed admiration for her work and surprise that she would be placed on leave pending results of the investigation. Lawrence M. Raymond, chairman of the Transportation Planning Advisory Group, said he "was very, very surprised regarding the allegations."

Mr. Raymond, who also is director of the city Office on Disability, said that Ms. Ozan-Pitts "has been a consummate professional, extremely helpful to the consumers, a very caring manager that I know worked long hours to...