Daily Casefile · Verdict
Short Change on the Saltwater Run
≈ 4 min
The Pelican Strait Ferry Line operates on a cash-and-card ticketing system, with a single fare-box attendant responsible for logging every payment into a handheld register device at the gangway. Over a three-week period in June 2026, daily cash totals on the MV Cormorant's morning run were running roughly $80–$120 short of the expected average for that route. Line supervisor Danielle Okafor noticed the shortfall during a routine audit and flagged Tomás Reyes, the sole attendant assigned to every affected sailing. Reyes denies any wrongdoing, claiming the register malfunctioned and undercounted legitimate fares. The question before you is whether Reyes deliberately skimmed cash fares or whether a technical fault caused the apparent shortfall.
Subject
Tomás Reyes, fare-box attendant on the MV Cormorant
Charged with Fare-box skimming — systematically pocketing cash fares instead of logging them into the onboard collection register
The scene
Pelican Strait Ferry Line, a busy commuter ferry service operating between Dockside Terminal and Garrison Point, present day
The witnesses
- Danielle Okafor — Line Supervisor, Pelican Strait Ferry Line
- Sanjay Patel — Regular commuter, Garrison Point route
- Carlos Reyes — Tomás Reyes's older brother and occasional character witness
- Marta Chen — Certified Fare Technology Technician, contracted by the ferry line
Play today’s Verdict.
This case first aired on July 16, 2026. A fresh verdict runs every morning — same rules, five minutes, one solution.