11 Arrested in Forged Disabled Parking Permits
Authorities in Miami-Dade County have arrested 11 people in an investigation into an alleged scheme involving the sale of fraudulent disabled parking permits, with investigators saying the operation relied on forged medical certifications and physician signatures.
The arrests came as part of an investigation dubbed “Operation Parking Denied,” conducted by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Public Corruption Section. Authorities said the investigation began after an audit by the Miami-Dade County Tax Collector’s Office identified numerous disabled parking permit applications suspected of being fraudulently obtained.
Investigators allege that brokers helped facilitate the scheme by providing applicants with disability certification forms containing forged signatures from physicians. Those forms were then submitted as part of applications for disabled parking placards.
According to authorities, the fraudulent permits were sold for approximately $200 each. Detectives reviewing the applications found that several physicians listed on the forms had never treated or certified the people who were identified as applicants.
Investigators also identified applications that allegedly carried the certification of a physician who had died in 2025, raising additional questions about how the applications were submitted and approved.
The Miami-Dade County Tax Collector’s Office said its broader audit has reviewed more than 75,000 applications, with more than 6,000 failing the final review. Thousands of additional applications remain subject to verification as the county continues examining the disabled parking permit program.
The 11 people arrested were identified by authorities as Ryan Carbonell, Roberto Lopez, Jorge Yanes, Irene Oria, Juan Aristizabal, Rafael Brito Diaz, Kristina Drobachevskaia, Alexander Campo, Camilo Padilla, Lianne Quintero and Etian Vila. The arrests occurred at different points between April and August as the investigation developed.
Authorities emphasized that the investigation is not focused simply on fraudulent paperwork. Disabled parking permits are intended to provide accessible parking to people with legitimate disabilities, and officials said fraudulent use can make it harder for those residents to access spaces and services they depend upon.
“A disabled parking permit is not a privilege to be bought, forged or stolen,” Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez said. “It exists for people who genuinely need it.”
Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz also warned that investigators intend to continue pursuing the case as additional evidence emerges.
“We are following this case wherever the evidence takes us,” Cordero-Stutz said. “This is not simply about a piece of plastic hanging from the rearview mirror. These placards exist because the most vulnerable in our community require them in their daily lives.”
The investigation remains active, and authorities said additional arrests could follow as investigators review more applications and evidence. The Tax Collector’s Office is continuing its audit and said cases involving suspected criminal conduct will be referred to law enforcement.
The crackdown represents a broader effort by Miami-Dade officials to tighten oversight of the disabled parking permit system and identify permits that may have been obtained through false information or fraudulent documentation.
Officials say the goal is to protect the integrity of the program while ensuring that accessible parking remains available to residents who legitimately qualify for it.
