Inside a California Transit Boss’s Wild Plot to Use Public Funds for Hidden Apartment Inside Train Station

• A California transit official has been convicted of embezzling public funds
• Joseph Navarro reportedly embezzled thousands to build himself an apartment in a historic train station
• Navarro faces up to 4 years in prison

A jury in California found a former Caltrain deputy director guilty last week of embezzling public funds to build himself a “crash pad” inside a historic train station.

The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office announced that Joseph Navarro, 67, was convicted of using $42,000 of public funds — disguised as repairs — to turn a section of the Burlingame train station into his private residence, complete with a bedroom, living room and even a gym.

Deputy District Attorney Joseph Cannon said in court that Navarro redirected taxpayer funds he was in charge of to build the apartment between 2019 and 2021, and that he kept the invoices under $3,000 so they did not need further approval, The Mercury News reported.

Navarro’s lawyers argued that he had been given permission to put the funds toward renovating the apartment and residing there while working 80-hour weeks, the outlet reported. 

“This is a case about abuse of power and abuse of authority… Mr. Navarro abused his authority as rail operations director in multiple ways, multiple times, affecting multiple people,” Cannon told the jury in his closing arguments, according to local outlets. “His abuse of power did not just affect him.” 

Navarro lived at the Burlingame train station until 2022, when an anonymous person tipped off Caltrain, according to reporting from the Palo Alto Daily Post. Gary Flemming, a former Caltrain Deputy Chief of Rail Development, and Hubert Chan, a Project Manager, both testified that they didn’t know about any of the changes made to the station. 

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“Turning a historic train station into your personal crash pad is 100% a conflict of interest,” Cannon said in court, according to the outlets. “That’s just common sense.”

Navarro was convicted on one count of felony embezzlement of public funds, according to the district attorney’s office. 

He is set to be sentenced on Jun 11 and could face up to four years in state prison, the Mercury News reported, noting that the judge has a “range of discretion” and could also choose to give Navarro probation.