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Yesterday, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Richard Sarles ordered several immediate actions following the arrest of two WMATA employees for alleged theft in connection with their jobs.

The employees — WMATA Police Officer John Vincent Haile, 54, of Woodbridge, and Revenue Technician Horace Dexter McDade, 58, of Bowie, Md. — were arrested by WMATA police and charged with conspiring to commit theft from programs receiving federal funds, WMATA officials said in a prepared statement.

An investigation was initiated in October 2011 after financial irregularities were brought to the attention of the agency’s Office of Inspector General (OIG). The investigation was conducted jointly by WMATA police, OIG, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria police and the commonwealth’s attorney for the city of Alexandria.

McDade was responsible for collecting revenue at Metrorail stations; Haile worked as part of a specialized team within WMATA police assigned to protect revenue collection.

Sarles’ immediate steps included suspending the employees. The agency’s chief financial officer will “immediately bring in forensic accountants to conduct a thorough review of control systems and management over revenue systems to fully understand how wrongdoing occurred and to implement tighter detection systems,” WMATA officials said. The review will take place concurrently with ongoing efforts of the OIG.

In addition, Police Chief Michael Taborn will conduct a top-to-bottom assessment of all policies and procedures pertaining to agency police officers assigned to the Revenue Collection Unit, a process that may include reassignment of employees assigned to the Unit as the OIG and internal reviews are conducted, WMATA officials said.