According to police officials and sources, a serial transit offender who, in the opinion of the authorities, deserves a spot in the subway crimes “Hall of Fame” has been arrested for the 171st time. Surprisingly, this time, the offender was not prosecuted.
According to sources, Michael Wilson, 37, was caught illegally selling MetroCard swipes. This incident marked his 27th arrest in the past eight months. Surprisingly, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office decided not to prosecute him, citing “the interest of justice.”
“If we were to create a hall of fame for individuals who have committed offenses on the Subway, this man would undoubtedly be selected as a first-ballot inductee,” expressed NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper in a scathing social media post.
“But it’s surprising how certain parts of our criminal justice system hold a different perspective.”
Bragg’s office has not pursued cases of fare evasion since 2017.
Bragg’s spokesperson emphasized the ongoing commitment to ensure the safety of passengers and transit workers in the subway. They stated that the office remains diligent in holding responsible individuals accountable for any actions that put others at risk.
According to a spokesperson, the decrease in transit crime in the borough last year was attributed to the close collaboration with law enforcement partners. The spokesperson emphasized that the collaborative efforts are ongoing and are being carried out on a daily basis.
According to law enforcement sources, Wilson has a long history of arrests, dating back to the time when subway tokens were still in use. His extensive rap sheet includes an astonishing 171 arrests, with a significant majority of them being related to transit offenses.
Wilson has been arrested multiple times for various transit crimes. These offenses include criminal tampering, fare evasion, possession of forged tokens, and unauthorized sale of a fare card.
According to sources, he has a history of bail jumping, weapons, and drug charges dating back to 2005.
Kemper, in his post, chose not to mention Wilson by name. Instead, he indirectly referred to a “subway recidivist” who is responsible for the lawlessness and disorder that our riders have to endure at the turnstiles. This individual has been arrested over twenty times in the past eight months.
According to Kemper, the recent incident at Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan involved individuals engaged in the illegal and occasionally forceful selling of Metrocard swipes. Additionally, he mentioned that one of the individuals involved actively resisted arrest.
Wilson was recently arrested on February 2nd just before 10 a.m. According to law enforcement sources, the police observed him exchanging cash for a MetroCard by swiping a rider through a turnstile.
Officers eventually arrested Wilson, discovering six MetroCards in his possession. To prevent their further use, they intentionally bent the cards along their magnetic strips. Among the MetroCards, he also had a student MetroCard.
No officers sustained any injuries during the arrest.
According to sources familiar with the matter, The Post has learned that the DA’s Office decided not to prosecute Wilson as it did not align with the concept of justice.
Kemper disagreed with the District Attorney’s reasoning and mentioned it word for word in his X post.
“Who is justice truly for? Is it for the repeat offenders or the law-abiding citizens of New York who simply want to ride the subways without being subjected to harassment or witnessing acts of lawlessness?” questioned Kemper.
Law enforcement sources have revealed that Wilson currently has an ongoing case in Queens. This case originated from his arrest on December 7th of last year, which subsequently led to the issuance of a warrant. Additional information regarding the specifics of this case is not yet readily accessible.
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