Man accused of running parking lot scam during Steelers game
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A man is charged with taking over a parking lot he doesn't own on Pittsburgh's North Side during Sunday's Steelers game.
"It takes a little bit of guts to do, to break into somebody's property and then to stand there all morning and sell spots," said Steve Nowak.
Nowak is the manager of Certex, which has official use of the lot on Fulton Street. He explained that he was at home on Sunday when he got a call that someone had taken over the parking lot.
"Whenever I heard about it, I was pretty frustrated," Nowak said. "And I asked the building owner to come down and look and see what was going on."
Police say 30-year-old Alphonso Rattliff allegedly came up with the scheme. Investigators say he was pretending to be a parking attendant. He had on an orange vest and a $50 price sign right out front.
"He was accepting electronic payments and cash, had a nice sign sitting out there," Nowak said. "He had it set up pretty well."
Nowak said the lot was secured with a lock and chain, but Ratliff found a way in without breaking them. According to the criminal complaint, 23 cars were parked in the lot, with the drivers paying $1,150.
"He was not apologetic," Nowak said. "He said that he only did this cause he would take the money and give it to the homeless folks."
This isn't the 30-year-old's first time at this game. According to court documents, Rattliff faced similar charges in April.
