The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced Monday the arrest of three suspects in connection with illegal activity associated with the Disabled Person Placard (DPP) application process. On Saturday, July 12, 2014, Qiaoyun Chen, 50 years old, and Guobin Qin, 29 years old, were arrested at their homes in San Francisco. The San Francisco District Attorney’s office charged the suspects with four felonies including filing false information with a state agency, perjury, commercial burglary, and forgery. The third suspect, Yessi Morales, 35 years old from San Francisco, was arrested on July 3, 2014 during a traffic stop by the San Francisco Police Department, she is charged with 24 felony counts.
“The DMV is stepping up disabled placard enforcement in a different, more aggressive way by catching the perpetrators at the beginning stages,” said DMV Director Jean Shiomoto. “Operation Blue Zone has been very successful in catching fraud placard applications in the Bay Area.”
The San Francisco District DMV Investigations Office started the Operation Blue Zone (OBZ) investigation in February 2014 after receiving a large number of DPP applications that were flagged by DMV field office staff as being allegedly fraudulent. Flag triggers included suspected forged doctor’s signatures, similar applicant and doctor hand-writing, frequent applications being submitted by the same doctor, and suspected false medical diagnosis. These alleged fraud applications began increasing in numbers in late 2013 and the beginning of 2014, with the majority of the placard recipients living or working in San Francisco. The suspected fraud applications were submitted in several DMV field offices with the majority submitted to the San Mateo DMV field office.
“The crimes related to submitting a fraudulent application as opposed to catching someone on the street misusing a DPP for parking is quite different,” said DMV Supervising Investigator Calvin Woo. “Parking misuse violations are typically local ordinance infractions or vehicle code misdemeanors where the abuser ends up with a hefty fine. Fraud DPP application violations are felonies.”
All three suspects could face up to four years in prison. Morales has been freed on $60,000 bail, and Qin and Chen were released after posting $30,000 bail apiece.
If you believe that someone has been issued a Disabled Person Placard in error or suspect placard misuse, we urge you to contact your local DMV Investigations office and submit a written complaint. The complaint can be anonymous. Please be aware that some qualifying disabilities are not visually apparent and allegations of misuse may be unfounded. The department considers crimes relating to disabled placards very serious and every complaint of this nature will be reviewed. Complaint forms can be found on the DMV public website www.dmv.ca.gov under the search key words “Record of Complaint,” or under form INV172A – Record of Complaint form. You may also obtain a complaint form from your local DMV field office.
DMV’s Investigations Division enhances consumer protection including auto and identity related fraud, car dealers, driving schools, traffic violator schools, and other DMV occupational licensees, as well as Internal Affairs Investigations. DMV is a department under the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA).
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61 Comments
i have one arm and they still wont give me a handicap placard.. like wtf lol
I am supprised by that Spencer Foster. I have one leg and have one, but perhaps it is mobility related?? I dont know.
Spencer , they are mobility related. For people who may struggle to walk from a further parking spot .
There is a guy over here that has a handicap placard on a Ford Explorer off road 4X4, and I see him playing football, baseball, etc with his son all the time….figure that one out. And he stores it in the handicap spot.
I just applied for mine, legally. Waiting for it to come in the mail.
I see people park in handicap, with a placard, but the able body person gets out and walks into the store. Pisses me off!
How do I report people? There are different people who are able bodied and NO handicap placs that park in the handicap spot at my apartment complex constantly and I want them to get towed because it’s not right.
Carole Hunt: I have CF otherwise known as Cystic Fibrosis. CF is a progressive lung disease for which there is no cure yet. CFers take 4-5 inhaled medications a day 2-3 times a day and that is when we don’t have one of our usual lung infections. When we have one, we have to do the breathing therapies 4-5 times a day to break up the thick, sticky mucus in our lungs. We also take between 15-50 ( each CF patient is different) enzymes a day. We have to take enzymes at each meal as because of the mucus blocking all of our organs besides our lungs, we can’t digest food without the pills. Many CF patients are on Oxygen but NOT ALL OF US ARE! My lung function is at 46% so I probably won’t go on it till I drop to 40%. Once a CFer has their lung function drop to 35%, we are then put on a waiting list after 4-6 months of grueling tests so we can hopefully receive a double lung transplant. This is my life. Thank God since I’m still at 46% I don’t carry oxygen with me. BUT I DO HAVE A HANDICAP PLACARD as walking is hard. Some days once I get into the store I’m completely out of breath and hacking. Other days I can walk a little further. This is how it is for all CFers. Each day is different and it can change minute by minute. As many of us here on FB post pix of who have CF, there is one that reads,” Not all disabilities are visible”. If you see me, you would have no clue what I endure each day. Yes I’ve been yelled at often by people who see me. If given the chance, I walk up to them and educate them on what CF is. Sorry for this long post guys but for any people who have severe enough illnesses where we need a placard, it’s frustrating when people assume we aren’t sick because we don’t look it.
Carole Hunt: I have CF otherwise known as Cystic Fibrosis. CF is a progressive lung disease for which there is no cure yet. CFers take 4-5 inhaled medications a day 2-3 times a day and that is when we don’t have one of our usual lung infections. When we have one, we have to do the breathing therapies 4-5 times a day to break up the thick, sticky mucus in our lungs. We also take between 15-50 ( each CF patient is different) enzymes a day. We have to take enzymes at each meal as because of the mucus blocking all of our organs besides our lungs, we can’t digest food without the pills. Many CF patients are on Oxygen but NOT ALL OF US ARE! My lung function is at 46% so I probably won’t go on it till I drop to 40%. Once a CFer has their lung function drop to 35%, we are then put on a waiting list after 4-6 months of grueling tests so we can hopefully receive a double lung transplant. This is my life. Thank God since I’m still at 46% I don’t carry oxygen with me. BUT I DO HAVE A HANDICAP PLACARD as walking is hard. Some days once I get into the store I’m completely out of breath and hacking. Other days I can walk a little further. This is how it is for all CFers. Each day is different and it can change minute by minute. As many of us here on FB post pix of who have CF, there is one that reads,” Not all disabilities are visible”. If you see me, you would have no clue what I endure each day. Yes I’ve been yelled at often by people who see me. If given the chance, I walk up to them and educate them on what CF is. Sorry for this long post guys but for any people who have severe enough illnesses where we need a placard, it’s frustrating when people assume we aren’t sick because we don’t look it.
Carole Hunt: I have CF otherwise known as Cystic Fibrosis. CF is a progressive lung disease for which there is no cure yet. CFers take 4-5 inhaled medications a day 2-3 times a day and that is when we don’t have one of our usual lung infections. When we have one, we have to do the breathing therapies 4-5 times a day to break up the thick, sticky mucus in our lungs. We also take between 15-50 ( each CF patient is different) enzymes a day. We have to take enzymes at each meal as because of the mucus blocking all of our organs besides our lungs, we can’t digest food without the pills. Many CF patients are on Oxygen but NOT ALL OF US ARE! My lung function is at 46% so I probably won’t go on it till I drop to 40%. Once a CFer has their lung function drop to 35%, we are then put on a waiting list after 4-6 months of grueling tests so we can hopefully receive a double lung transplant. This is my life. Thank God since I’m still at 46% I don’t carry oxygen with me. BUT I DO HAVE A HANDICAP PLACARD as walking is hard. Some days once I get into the store I’m completely out of breath and hacking. Other days I can walk a little further. This is how it is for all CFers. Each day is different and it can change minute by minute. As many of us here on FB post pix of who have CF, there is one that reads,” Not all disabilities are visible”. If you see me, you would have no clue what I endure each day. Yes I’ve been yelled at often by people who see me. If given the chance, I walk up to them and educate them on what CF is. Sorry for this long post guys but for any people who have severe enough illnesses where we need a placard, it’s frustrating when people assume we aren’t sick because we don’t look it.
Carole Hunt: I have CF otherwise known as Cystic Fibrosis. CF is a progressive lung disease for which there is no cure yet. CFers take 4-5 inhaled medications a day 2-3 times a day and that is when we don’t have one of our usual lung infections. When we have one, we have to do the breathing therapies 4-5 times a day to break up the thick, sticky mucus in our lungs. We also take between 15-50 ( each CF patient is different) enzymes a day. We have to take enzymes at each meal as because of the mucus blocking all of our organs besides our lungs, we can’t digest food without the pills. Many CF patients are on Oxygen but NOT ALL OF US ARE! My lung function is at 46% so I probably won’t go on it till I drop to 40%. Once a CFer has their lung function drop to 35%, we are then put on a waiting list after 4-6 months of grueling tests so we can hopefully receive a double lung transplant. This is my life. Thank God since I’m still at 46% I don’t carry oxygen with me. BUT I DO HAVE A HANDICAP PLACARD as walking is hard. Some days once I get into the store I’m completely out of breath and hacking. Other days I can walk a little further. This is how it is for all CFers. Each day is different and it can change minute by minute. As many of us here on FB post pix of who have CF, there is one that reads,” Not all disabilities are visible”. If you see me, you would have no clue what I endure each day. Yes I’ve been yelled at often by people who see me. If given the chance, I walk up to them and educate them on what CF is. Sorry for this long post guys but for any people who have severe enough illnesses where we need a placard, it’s frustrating when people assume we aren’t sick because we don’t look it.
CHILL out Andrea. Im talking the person in the back seat that gets out. Im not stupid. I know about diseases that are not obvious. Give me a break.
That however is not how it came across as you can see others were upset as well. No. We CFers pride ourselves on making people CF aware. It he only way we get better therapies is thru fundraising and people knowing how severe it is has to come first before people know enough about it to want to donate. Our government gives no $$ to CF which goes to research an eventually a cure. My best friend who HAD CF died of it two weeks after her transplant. Since dec of 2013, I’ve known 11 people to die of it. Oh and today, a CF friend posted how she got yelled at by an older man as she rightfully was leaving her car parked legally in the handicap space and walked into the market. You said the same thing and as I said, two people told you how wrong it was.
You know what Andrea…im done with you. You read it wrong and really pissed me off. A lot of people have a lot of problems. YOUR not the only one in this world.
I’m also not the only one who got mad at you. Read all the replies.
ESP Maria’s and Pam’s that were written before mine. And look how many liked my comment. It isn’t about me. It’s about educating people like you who say those comments to people with in messes that aren’t always visible.
It is you! Why dont you show some class and ask that person what they mean first? I am totally for disabled parking. But you have to make it sound like im not. F you!!! Next time ask claification first.
I dont care how many liked your stupid ignorant comment. My POINT is you misunderstood me!!! Cant you understand that???
It seems you’re the only one “shaking mad” Andrea. I found nothing wrong with Carole original post. She didn’t say anything offensive, and you just don’t know by looking at Facebook who has a blue card or not. Maybe those of us who completely understood Carole’s post all have blue cards and good reason for them too. She means the ones who are ILLEGALLY using the blue cards/spots and taking those designated spots away from those who need it the most. Take a chill pill Andrea.
I am able bodied… Until I’ve walked too far, pushed myself, and am bedridden for days after. I get dirty looks all the time. But you don’t want to cart me off in an ambulance after I’ve passed out in line.
The scam is people who steal them and don’t have their permits.
Like the lady said, they might get out of their car and walk perfectly in the store, obviously they are parking close, you don’t know what’s wrong with them … If they needed to walk across a large parking lot. Mind your own business… Carole
Like the lady said, they might get out of their car and walk perfectly in the store, obviously they are parking close, you don’t know what’s wrong with them … If they needed to walk across a large parking lot. Mind your own business… Carole
Thank you Kathy Bail Johnson!!! I just wrote a long post in reply to her as her comment affects me and others like me plus others who have other what are called, invisible illnesses. I’m shaking I’m so mad!!
Thank you Kathy Bail Johnson!!! I just wrote a long post in reply to her as her comment affects me and others like me plus others who have other what are called, invisible illnesses. I’m shaking I’m so mad!!
Crystal Kacmar I have a handi cap pass for my son and when it’s given to me by the DMV they also give me paper work with my son’s information that I’m required to keep in my glove box. If you do report someone for misuse they can check to make sure they are capable of having a pass. Sadly, people use passes when the disabled party isn’t present. It is completely frustrating!
it’s between the Dr. who wrote the paper work for the patient to get the plaque and the dmv . People out here in Santa Clarita are way too into other peoples business! stop worrying about other’s and worry about yourself. If someone is using a disabled plaque then there is a thing called KARMA. stop worrying who parked closer then you and who walked less than you. Not every disability is visible!
it’s between the Dr. who wrote the paper work for the patient to get the plaque and the dmv . People out here in Santa Clarita are way too into other peoples business! stop worrying about other’s and worry about yourself. If someone is using a disabled plaque then there is a thing called KARMA. stop worrying who parked closer then you and who walked less than you. Not every disability is visible!
Its kinda obvious when some one is getting out of vehicle with mini skirt and high heels. I have a placard and when there are no spots available because of that it pisses me off. I’m entitled to my opinion!!!!
Now you are saying if they are wearing mini skirt and high heels then nothing must be wrong that would warrant them having a handicap placard?? Seriously? Well I guess you’d freak if you saw my outfits. My illness causes rapid weight loss requiring feeding tubes. Because of the weight loss I now wear clothes that 30 years ago I couldn’t wear. People who are getting cancer treatments and therefore are lacking in strength, some choose to wear mini skirts and heels. My friend is an atty. she actually wears A line mini skirts with heels. Did I mention she is lacking in strength, often quite nauseous because she is going through chemo? Hence she has a handicap placard. Again Carole, your comments sound ignorant and mean.
Now you are saying if they are wearing mini skirt and high heels then nothing must be wrong that would warrant them having a handicap placard?? Seriously? Well I guess you’d freak if you saw my outfits. My illness causes rapid weight loss requiring feeding tubes. Because of the weight loss I now wear clothes that 30 years ago I couldn’t wear. People who are getting cancer treatments and therefore are lacking in strength, some choose to wear mini skirts and heels. My friend is an atty. she actually wears A line mini skirts with heels. Did I mention she is lacking in strength, often quite nauseous because she is going through chemo? Hence she has a handicap placard. Again Carole, your comments sound ignorant and mean.
I wonder if people realize what the requirements are to get a disabled placard. Just because they are able to get out and walk around does not mean they are “faking it”. A drs note is required to get one. So please don’t be so quick to judge not to mention that if anyone were to ask them anything about their condition it could violate their HIPPA law. Potential lawsuit
Carole Hunt I know the ones you are talking about. Of course those of you who truly need it deserve it, we are sensitive to that… Please don’t confuse our frustration. It’s the ones who are breaking the law that we I are taking about.
Yes i know she didn’t mean all people
Of course I didnt! They think Im stupid. They are ignorant for jumping to conclusions. Im talking about the person in the back seat that “jumps” out of the car and runs into store.
Thanks Khardine and Nidia!
Thank you Maria Spargifiore!!! I addressed her as well!!
Thank you Andrea for jumping to conclusions about me. I f’n donated to your CF cause and you think I am posting something wrong. You’re unbelievable.
Carole, yes, the wording you used made it sound as if you were disregarding any illness which is known as an invisible illness but which fortunately is given placards if our walking is inhibited for any reason. Because there are sooo msny invisible illnesses that are quite dire, when people say what you did, it’s very upsetting to those of us that suffer with any of them. Without knowing a person, one has no idea what serious medical issue that person may have. Maria and another person were quite upset at your comment as well. Out of the 13 people who liked my comment to you, 7 wrote me PM’s telling me how glad they were that ai wrote that.
Carole, yes, the wording you used made it sound as if you were disregarding any illness which is known as an invisible illness but which fortunately is given placards if our walking is inhibited for any reason. Because there are sooo msny invisible illnesses that are quite dire, when people say what you did, it’s very upsetting to those of us that suffer with any of them. Without knowing a person, one has no idea what serious medical issue that person may have. Maria and another person were quite upset at your comment as well. Out of the 13 people who liked my comment to you, 7 wrote me PM’s telling me how glad they were that ai wrote that.
We gotta lot of people to tell on from coc ahahahah Steve Garcia
Ya they told me because its not my leg but sometimes it cud help cause Ill have trouble carrying stuff. It just sucks when I see people using the spots that look perfectly healthy
Kinda hypocritical since they’re handing out ID’s to illegals
I know who the cars belong to and no one in their family is disabled. One person even told me, ‘I park there because its closer and nobody cares.’
Some people have heart/lung conditions that permits them to have a placard. My father in law has heart problems and had one. My father had Parkinson’s disease and had one.
I would like to see the State of California make it illegal to park vehicles in handicap slots for the sole purpose of advertising businesses. I personally witnessed this in Newhall a couple years ago. Someone parked a vehicle in a handicap slot in the Rite Aid parking lot on Lyons Ave to advertise a business. The vehicle was parked there the entire day. It wasn’t even parked near the business.
We have one for our 9 year old Autistic son. I need to park close because he is a “runner” and has almost gotten hit by cars on at least 4 occasions. He doesn’t understand car/walking safety rules. Our placard is a life saver. We also never ever use it unless we have our son with us. A lot of families with Autistic children have them because our children are “runner” and lack the understanding of parking lot safety.
Andrea I am not talking about you. I know you have CF because you have to tell everyone in almost all of your posts!!!! I am talking about a specific group…. Get off your high horse before you start attacking someone.
I am posting Carole’s reply to me. By the way guys, tonight I read from a fellow CFer in another state how they had similar things yelled at them that Carole wrote in her post.
CHILL out Andrea. Im talking the person in the back seat that gets out. Im not stupid. I know about diseases that are not obvious. Give me a break.
I told her as per her reply, in no way was that how it came across in her original comment.
all this over a parking space?
Hey Andrea newsflash…they can see it to by clicking on the relpy button. Looking for someone to come to your side? You read into my post WRONG and jumped all over me. Shame on you!!! I have cancer but I do not tell the world like you do with CF! I have a placard too. I was talking about others…not YOU!!
After telling her why as someone with an invisible illness it really is angering to read her now both comments, she said this:
You know what Andrea…im done with you. You read it wrong and really pissed me off. A lot of people have a lot of problems. YOUR not the only one in this world.
I saw two others who commented before I did who were upset with her comment.
BECAUSE you misread it …posted your typical CF crap and tried to make me the bad guy. You MISREAD IT ANDREA!!!!!!!
And I say this because you bring up your CF in the SCV Foodies group. They usually have to delete your threads. I am sorry you have CF. I donated to you because you were in need. Which should tell you about me. You are something else Andrea.
Posting lies on your FB timeline now about me Andrea? You’re something else. Im not ignorant. You need to apologize! But I doubt you will.
Posting lies on your FB timeline now about me Andrea? You’re something else. Im not ignorant. You need to apologize! But I doubt you will.
To those of you that misread my post…i was trying to say that when a spot is taken in the disabled spot and someone from the back seat jumps out and runs into the store, or the lady with high heels on with the mini shirt gets out of passenger side. I don’t say anything because its none of my business. I obviously wrote it wrong. You all jump on someone without even asking for clarification. My mother was in a wheelchair growing up…so disabled people, wether it shows or not, are very near and dear to my heart.
To those of you that misread my post…i was trying to say that when a spot is taken in the disabled spot and someone from the back seat jumps out and runs into the store, or the lady with high heels on with the mini shirt gets out of passenger side. I don’t say anything because its none of my business. I obviously wrote it wrong. You all jump on someone without even asking for clarification. My mother was in a wheelchair growing up…so disabled people, wether it shows or not, are very near and dear to my heart.
They just need to make more handicap spaces available…. 2 or 3 for a mall every 3 or 4 lanes are not enough!
I have had a disabled parking permit for several years now, I am 23 and look healthy most days. I have severe, chronic back and leg problems that prevent me from walking distances and some days prevent me from walking at all. Most of the time I am only running errands/shopping etc when I am having a decent day. I have encountered more situations than I can count of people coming up and screaming at me for parking in a handicap spot. Please don’t judge those of us who appear healthy, you have no idea what’s going on.
They should do that
They should do that