Page 5 - Aruba Today
P. 5
U.S. NEWS A5
Tuesday 22 March 2016
NYC seeks to recover money
made off transit impostor’s film
COLLEEN LONG first started hanging around amounts of money to Da- In this Nov. 13, 2015 file photo, Darius McCollum is arraigned in
Associated Press the subway as a child — he vid Berkowitz for his story, Brooklyn criminal court in New York. New York City transit offi-
NEW YORK (AP) — To Hol- knows every subway line, and it was ruled uncon- cials say they will try to recoup any money made by the notori-
lywood, a transit impostor every stop. After the Sept. stitutional by the U.S. Su- ous transit impostor from a feature film in development about
with a long history of pos- 11 attacks, he was asked preme Court in 1991 during him. McCollum, who first commandeered a train at age 15, has
ing as a New York City sub- by the MTA to help for- a battle over the mobster been arrested 30 times over the years for transit-related crimes.
way worker driving trains is tify their system, his lawyer tale “Wiseguy.” The struck-
rich material for a movie. said. He wanted to work for down law was replaced in Associated Press
But to transit officials, Darius the MTA, but transit officials 2005.
McCollum is a criminal who have long said they would In a Brooklyn court Mon- torney’s office initially said it pected April 11.
shouldn’t profit off his be- not hire someone who had day, McCollum rejected a would not allow the move If not, McCollum may be
havior. stolen a train, as he did at plea deal that would have but then backed off in headed for trial — his first
The Metropolitan Trans- 15 from Penn Station to the sent him to prison for up to court. A decision was ex- ever.q
portation Authority said World Trade Center. 10 years. He’s pleaded in
Monday that it will use the “The MTA created this prob- every other criminal case
state’s Son of Sam law to lem because they were against him. Butler is still
try to recoup any money lazy and glad to have him trying to get McCollum
he makes off a feature film do their work,” said McCol- into the borough’s mental
in development about his lum’s attorney, Sally Butler. health court, where he’d
life. “They also aren’t involved receive treatment and
McCollum, who’s been ar- in this case. I will fight this.” have to adhere to a strict
rested 30 times for transit- McCollum’s story has been protocol or face stricter
related crimes, told The As- in newspapers and maga- sentences. The district at-
sociated Press that his un- zines for decades. A docu-
controllable obsession with mentary about his life, “Off
buses and trains is because the Rails,” will premiere April
of an autism-spectrum dis- 7 at the Full Frame festival
order and he needs help. in Durham, North Carolina.
He was most recently ar- The feature film, tentatively
rested in November, when titled “Train Man,” was sold
he was accused of stealing to a financer and is set to
a Greyhound bus from a star Julia Roberts as Butler,
terminal in New Jersey and who has been McCollum’s
driving it to Brooklyn. attorney since his 2010 ar-
Transit officials said they rest in Queens for stealing a
would ask for written notice Trailways bus.
from the film’s producers, He hasn’t seen any money
The Gotham Group, of their yet from the producers,
financial agreement with Butler said. Any money
McCollum. The officials said would likely come if the film
they were seeking “any ill- makes it to production.
gotten gains he receives “And if he gets any, he
from participation in this should be able to keep it,”
purported film project.” she said. “This is not your
The Gotham Group had no usual guy in jail. He’s a spe-
comment. cial case.”
McCollum, now 50, had the The state’s Son of Sam law
subway map memorized originated after rumors
by age 8. He befriended that publishers and movie
engineers and pilots and studios were offering large
