Taxi Official Tried To Have City Foot Bill For Car Sirens

NEW YORK, NY — A Taxi and Limousine Commission official was suspended and fined after trying — and failing — to get his car tricked out with sirens and lights on the city's dime, the Conflicts of Interest Board announced Monday.

Israel Ramos, a deputy chief in the TLC's enforcement division, was sidelined for a week without pay and paid a $600 fine for duping a Long Island auto shop into installing the amenities — but only after the shop figured out what Ramos was up to, according to a COIB settlement finalized last month.

Saying he worked for the TLC, Ramos had the owner of Valley Van and Sport Utilities install a nearly $4,200 siren and light package on his personal car in February 2015, Ramos admitted in the settlement.

Ramos watched as the owner wrote up a work order thinking that the TLC owned the car, the settlement says. The owner submitted an invoice to the city, but later found out the car was actually Ramos'.

The owner had Ramos bring the car back, removed the sirens and lights and then billed Ramos $955 for the work, the settlement says.

Ramos paid a $600 fine in October and served a one-week suspension without pay, sacrificing $1,448 in wages, the settlement says.

"We promptly referred the matter to COIB once it came to our attention, and we will follow their recommendations fully in terms of consequences for these actions," TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg said in a statement.

Ramos' lawyer, Todd Rubinstein, said the work order the shop's owner filled out was never given to Ramos for his signature. He noted that the shop billed the city for the job, and said Ramos never asked the shop to do so.

(Lead image: New York City taxis are seen in October 2016. Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for EPIX)