CLEVELAND — A Cleveland man has been arrested by the Cleveland Division of the FBI for allegedly wedging metal into the railroad switch and tracks in an attempt to cause a train derailment.
According to court records, Joseph Findley, 43, was charged with terrorist attacks against railroad carriers Friday afternoon.
From August to October, Findley is accused of placing items on the tracks and creating devices that were wedged in the tracks five times, according to court records.
The track, owned by CSX, is near East 55th Street and is often used by the Amtrak commuter line. It was first recognized to be tampered with Aug. 12 when officials with CSX were carrying out a test run for a Family Days employee appreciation event when the train struck a foreign object resulting in the train jumping off the tracks, according to court records.
FBI investigators were notified by railroad officials of the Aug. 12 incident on Aug. 14, causing an investigation into the tracks leading to the discovery of track material consisting of tie plates, spikes and unknown pieces of metal wedged between the guardrail and the rail.
In August, investigators reached out to Dominion Energy, located south of the tracks, to obtain surveillance camera footage to assist with their investigation. However, due to the placement of their cameras footage obtained was not relevant, leading to the company adjusting their cameras to assist in obtaining footage of any future tampering with the tracks.
On Aug. 18, a man was caught walking near the switch where the obstructions were placed, leading investigators to reach out to Dominion Energy for surveillance footage. The man in the footage was seen wearing a black shirt, jean shorts and carrying a white can. However, the man's face was not visible, said officials.
On several occasions in September, officials with CSX reported material wedged between the guardrail and rail and CSX trail camera footage captured a man wearing the same clothing taking several pieces of track material and placing them on parts of the rail.
On Oct. 1, the same man is seen on surveillance cameras placing what is later determined to be four spikes on the tracks.
In September, officials were able to take a clear image from a hidden trail camera. The photo was taken to the carry-out markets near the tracks, where an employee was able to identify Findley as the man in the photo.
On Oct. 6, the FBI executed a search warrant of Findley's home, leading to his arrest. Findley admitted to being the man in the surveillance videos, and he admitted to placing railroad spikes on the tracks. However, he denied placing other pieces of metal in the tracks and denied attempting to derail a train.
