By Madina Toure
EAST ELMHURST—Three Queens residents are among seven airport taxi dispatchers who have been charged in a taxi-dispatching scheme at LaGuardia Airport, according to District Attorney Richard Brown.
The residents have been identified as Delia Gonzalez, 51, of East Elmhurst; Algimir Kabir, 60, of Kew Gardens; and Michael Zalt, 66, of Woodside.
Between February and June, the dispatchers allegedly accepted cash payments of $5 to $10 to enable undercover taxi drivers to skip long lines in the central taxi holding area and go directly to the terminals to pick up passengers, Brown said.
The defendants have been charged with commercial bribe receiving, official misconduct and receiving unlawful gratuities, the DA said. If convicted, the defendants each face up to a year in jail.
