Illegally Picked Up Fare, Locked Them In Car
A livery cab driver from Ridgewood who unlawfully picked up a family of four from Panama at JFK Airport in February, then locked them in his vehicle and fled from authorities, pled guilty on Monday, May 7 to a charge of unlawful imprisonment, it was announced.
Bhupinder Singh, 38, of Himrod Street pled guilty to first-degree unlawful imprisonment before Queens Criminal Court Judge Dorothy Chin- Brandt, who indicated that she would sentence him to six months in jail and five years’ probation at sentencing on June 4.
According to the charges, Singh illegally offered arriving passengers at JFK Airport’s international terminal his services as ground transportation for hire on the afternoon of Feb. 21.
As PortAuthority P.O. Dante Castro Recio observed Singh escort an unsuspecting family of four from Panama-including a 17-year-old and 12-year-old child-into his Lincoln Town Car, he blocked Singh’s vehicle with his unmarked police car.
When Officer Castro-Recio stepped out of his vehicle and identified himself as a police officer, Singh locked the Town Car’s doors, put his vehicle in reverse, and drove around the officer. As Singh fled the scene at a high rate of speed, and with police in pursuit, the 12-year-old became fearful and grabbed the steering wheel and pulled it to the right, causing Singh’s vehicle to crash into a guardrail and resulting in minor injuries to his parents.
Singh then fled the vehicle and ran away on foot. He was, however, subdued after a brief foot pursuit and an attempt to resist arrest.
As the Times Newsweekly previously reported, Singh had been barred by the PAPD in January from offering livery services at both JFK and LaGuardia airports due to previous infractions.
“As this case clearly illustrates, unregulated taxis and unscrupulous drivers-who are not properly licensed and who do not carry appropriate insurance-put passengers at serious risk,” Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said in a statement. “Each year, more than 70 million passengers travel through JFK and LaGuardia Airports-many of whom are visitors from other states and countries and are unaware of ground transportation options when they arrive at the terminal. Often, these passengers are unfamiliar with New York prices and/or U.S. currency and, as a result, are charged exorbitant rates to be driven even the shortest of distances. As tourism, one of New York’s most revenue-producing industries, continues to grow, it is vitally important to our economic health that we provide a safe and welcoming environment at our airports.”
The investigation was conducted by the Port Authority Police Department under the supervision of Superintendent Michael A. Fedorko.
Assistant District Attorney Catherine C. Kane, chief of the District Attorney’s Airport Investigations Unit, prosecuted the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Gerard A. Brave, bureau chief of the District Attorney’s Organized Crime and Rackets Bureau, and Mark L. Katz, deputy bureau chief, and the overall supervision of Peter A. Crusco, Executive Assistant District Attorney, Investigations Division, and Linda M. Cantoni, Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney.
