SAN MATEO COUNTY, Calif. — A former train station manager was sentenced on June 9 for his role in helping a former Caltrain executive embezzle public funds and secretly build unauthorized apartments inside two Peninsula train stations.
Seth Worden, 66, of Oceanside, was sentenced to two months in county jail and one year of probation, and must repay $8,114.01 in restitution to Caltrain, according to District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
Worden, who worked as a station manager for TASI, the contractor operating the Caltrain system, accepted a plea deal in January. As part of the agreement, he testified against Joseph Vincent Navarro, 61, of Newtown, Pennsylvania, a former Caltrain deputy director of operations, who was convicted in April.
Between 2019 and 2020, Worden helped Navarro construct a secret apartment inside the historic Burlingame train station, complete with a bedroom, gym, and living room. Worden hired a contractor to convert an unused office space by adding a kitchen, shower, plumbing, heating, and even a security camera.
To avoid detection, all renovation invoices were kept just under the $3,000 internal approval threshold—a strategic move that allowed the projects to fly under the radar.
Worden also attempted a similar unauthorized renovation in the Millbrae train station for his own use, but was discovered by Caltrain staff in 2020.
Navarro reportedly lived in the Burlingame apartment until an anonymous tip alerted Caltrain in 2022. In total, the illicit renovations cost approximately $50,000 in public funds—$42,000 for Burlingame and $8,000 for Millbrae.
Navarro is scheduled for sentencing on Wednesday and faces up to four years in prison, although the judge may consider granting probation.
Worden’s case illustrates how a mix of insider access and strategic accounting enabled a highly unusual misuse of public space and taxpayer funds.
And let’s be honest—anyone who can build two (secret) apartments in the Bay Area for just $50,000 might have missed their true calling in solving the Peninsula’s housing crisis.
