Prosecutors: Unlicensed Cabbie Lied To Passengers, Illegally Solicited Fares At JFK
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An allegedly unlicensed cab driver has been arrested and charged on claims that he forged documents and illegally solicited fares at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Barnabas Laurent, 47, of Brentwood, Long Island, was arraigned Monday before Queens Criminal Court Judge Frederick C. Arraiga, on charges of criminal possession of a forged instrument, criminal trespass, and unlawful solicitation of ground transportation, according to the Queens District Attorney's office.
This past Saturday, Laurent was allegedly spotted approaching several passengers at the arrivals section at JFK Terminal 1. He allegedly told passengers the Air Train that connects JFK with the subway system was not running, and claimed he was a Super Shuttle driver as he offered to take them to Jamaica Station or elsewhere, prosecutors said.
Inside Laurent's vehicle, a Super Shuttle rate book, receipt books, and other items with the Super Shuttle logo were allegedly found, prosecutors said.
But the AirTrain was running just fine this past weekend, and Laurent was not a Super Shuttle driver at all, prosecutors said.
"It is important that travelers visiting New York City are provided with a safe and welcoming atmosphere at our airports. Unregulated taxis and unscrupulous drivers - who are not properly licensed and do not carry appropriate insurance - put riders at risk," Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said in a news release. "The defendant allegedly lied to arriving visitors by stating that the Air Train wasn't running and that he was a Super Shuttle driver."
Laurent was being held on bail Monday, and was to return to court on Wednesday, prosecutors said. HE faces up to a year in jail if convicted.