Photo: AFP
Six New York City taxi cab drivers stole more than $11,500 from passengers by overcharging for tolls, city officials said Monday.
The cabbies were found guilty by city administrative judges of defrauding close to 1,000 passengers between 2015 and 2018. They have been ordered into a community-based diversion and sentencing program.
They also face fines and the possible loss of their licenses.
The Department of Investigation said in a press release that it used driver information, GPS data and trip data from TLC to map out suspicious trips and examine if passengers were charged appropriately.
The drivers were accused of overcharging toll rates without accounting for E-Pass discounts or charging drivers for tolls when there were none.
“The City’s taxicab industry suffered a devastating economic blow over the last several years and, as a result, so many drivers have directly experienced a grave impact. While we have compassion for all those who have been affected, DOI acted to stop fraud by this group of drivers and protect taxicab passengers from being victimized," Acting DOI Commissioner Daniel Cort said in Monday's announcement.
The TLC is going after about 600 drivers suspected of price gouging riders by more than $1 million in 286,000 separate incidents.