By Hank Russell
A cab driver from New Hyde Park was charged for taking part in a bribery scheme in which cabbies would receive illicit payments to pick up fares from John F. Kennedy Airport without waiting their turn.
Jairo Sarmiento, 23, was charged on April 1 with second-degree receiving of bribes, official misconduct and receiving unlawful gratuities. According to the Queens District Attorney’s Office, Sarmiento allegedly accepted eight bribes.
He was one of 10 cabbies who took part in this scheme. Eight others were arraigned while a tenth driver has yet to be apprehended.
Investigators discovered that, in 2022, the Port Authority received complaints alleging that some taxi dispatchers at JFK were taking bribes so that yellow cab drivers were allowed to pick up fares at the terminals without having to wait in the central taxi holding lot first. (Taxis are usually held in a central holding lot and released based on the order in which they arrived at the lot.) After a preliminary review, the Port Authority’s Office of the Inspector General and the Queens DA’s Airport Investigations Unit launched a probe.
Investigators found that Sarmiento and the other cabbies accepted a total of more than $12,000 in bribes. They were paid in small increments — usually $5 to $10 per trip — and either received cash or accepted payments through Zelle or CashApp.
“The victims of corruption, without fail, are honest, hardworking men and women,” Queens DA Melinda Katz said. “As if the challenges of making a living as a yellow cab driver were not already enough, the cabbies at JFK had to overcome greed and corruption in their effort to put food on the table for themselves and their families. We will not allow that to stand. My office conducted a lengthy and in-depth investigation into these allegations and will hold the corrupt accountable.”
Sarmiento was arraigned in Queens County Criminal Court on April 1 and received a desk appearance ticket. He is due back in court on June 5. If convicted, he faces up to a year in jail.