5/24/2006
New York: Meter Maid Writes Bogus TicketsNew York City, New York meter maid charged with writing bogus parking tickets while illegally parked in a handicapped space.
At least twenty-seven motorists in New York City, New York have been issued parking tickets for offenses that they did not commit. Meter maid Nivea S. Cloud, 30, of Queens Village was charged yesterday with making up these tickets over a three hour period while parked in her city vehicle.
"As a municipal worker entrusted with such enormous financial powers over motorists and a duty and responsibility to uphold the law, the defendant's alleged conduct is outrageous," Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said in a statement.
According to the charges, a team of New York Police Department investigators spotted Cloud illegally parked in a handicapped spot in a Long Island municipal parking lot between 4:27pm and 4:55pm. During this time, she used her handheld computer to issue tickets to six vehicles parked more than a mile away. The pattern continued with a total of 27 tickets issued during three different stops in the city.
The charges of falsifying business records and official misconduct carry a maximum sentence of four years in prison.