11 people arrested in Miami for faking disabilities to get prime parking

Authorities in Miami have apprehended 11 individuals accused of pretending to have disabilities in order to secure coveted accessible parking spots.

The arrests highlight ongoing efforts to crack down on fraudulent use of disabled parking permits, which undermines access for those who genuinely need them.

Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz announced charges against 11 people accused of falsifying information on applications for disabled parking permits.

"Operation Parking Denied" involved members of the sheriff's public corruption division investigating hundreds of suspicious applications for disabled parking permits.

Miami-Dade County's Tax Collector's Office began an audit of the applications in January.

Investigators said those charged Monday include five people who submitted applications with a physician's signature certifying that each was legally blind or unable to walk more than 200 feet because of disabilities, according to court records.

The physician, though, died last May, and his signature on state records does not match those on the applications, investigators said.

"The evidence points to a scheme in which people could pay a broker up to $200 to obtain fraudulent medical certification of disability and then take that paperwork to the tax collector's office to obtain a handicapped placard," Cordero-Stutz said during a news conference Monday afternoon.

All those charged face at least one felony count.