Four Queens residents were among eight individuals arrested on Tuesday for allegedly creating phony city-issued parking placards so they can put their vehicle wherever they wanted.
“Parking comes at a premium in a city like New York and using fraudulent placards to circumvent the rules is a crime. These individuals abused city parking regulations and attempted to escape paying the penalties by posing as city employees with city-issued placards or by using fake handicap parking placards reserved for those in real need, according to the charges,” said DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett.
These arrests come after Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled a new measure aimed at preventing fake placards and phase out the use of physical city-issued placards in February. That plan sought to eliminate the use of fraudulent placards as an approach to the problem of municipal employees who abuse city-issued parking placards.
The defendants are charged with offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, a class E felony punishable by up to four years in prison.
Ying J. Lin, 47, of Fresh Meadows, received a summons for failure to display a muni meter receipt and failure to display a parking meter receipt in Queens. To get the tickets dismissed, Lin allegedly submitted two fraudulent City DOT handicap parking placards to DOF. Lin’s plea was denied by DOF and the summonses were paid in full.
Ramon Arias, 57, of East Elmhurst, received a summons for Failure to Display a Parking Meter Receipt in Manhattan.To get the ticket dismissed, Arias allegedly submitted a fraudulent New York Blood Center parking placard to DOF in January 2018. Arias’ plea was denied by DOF and the summons was paid in full. Because Arias allegedly used a New York Blood Center placard, purporting to be a New York Blood Center employee, Arias is also charged with Criminal Impersonation in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor.
Arsen Iskhakov, 47, of Forest Hills, received a summons for parking in a no parking zone during street cleaning in Queens. To get the ticket dismissed, Iskhakov allegedly submitted a fraudulent City DOT handicap parking placard. Iskhakov’s plea was denied by DOF and the summons was paid in full.
Adrian Ramprasad, 27, of South Richmond Hill, received summonses for Failure to Display a Parking Meter Receipt in Queens. In an effort to get these tickets dismissed, Ramprasad allegedly twice submitted a fraudulent City Law Department placard to DOF. Ramprasad’s plea was denied by DOF and the summonses were paid in full. Because Ramprasad also allegedly used a placard purporting to be a City Law Department employee, Ramprasad is charged with two counts of Criminal Impersonation in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor.
The case is being prosecuted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
