A Luxor Cab driver pleaded not guilty today to alleged fraudulent use of the San Francisco Municipal Transit Authority’s paratransit program, which provides taxi services at discounted rates for people with disabilities, according to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office.
Joseph Shcop, of San Francisco, was arrested and charged with two counts of access card theft and six counts of unauthorized use of personal information, according to prosecutors.
According to court records, Shcop was found with five paratransit debit cards belonging to qualified program users. He allegedly used the cards to double his income by using the debit cards during regular cash fares and also for taxi rides that never occurred.
The director of the SFMTA’s Taxi and Accessible Services notified authorities about the alleged scam. He was arrested in July, according to prosecutors.
He was arraigned today in San Francisco Superior Court. He is out on $50,000 bail, according to San Francisco District Attorney’s Office spokesman Alex Bastian.
Sasha Lekach, Bay City News
