DMV Catches 51 People With Amazing Fake Names

If you've been planning on going to the DMV and getting a second license with a different name, you might want to reconsider. Thanks to newish software the state is actively seeking double dippers and today it announced that it has arrested 51 bus and truck drivers for having two licenses. Including four who were working for the MTA. What makes this story really fun though are the fake (not to mention the real) names they used!

All of the MTA employees have been fired (the MTA has "zero tolerance for this type of behavior") and all 51 of those caught have been charged at least with one felony count of offering false instrument. And for the record, since February 2010 the DMV has caught more than 800 people using multiple licenses. Why do people want multiple licenses? According to the state, drivers will often use them to hide arrests and traffic violations from authorities and employers.

But where the story gets fun is when you peruse some of the names that people picked for their second identities. The DMV provided a full list of the names (while pointing out that "all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven otherwise in court") and, well, it is hard to pick a favorite. Some are simple enough to figure out (Shabaz Muhammad's alter ego is Muhammad Shahbaz) and some are less so (Jean U. Paris's alter ego is Ulrick Joesph).

Writers looking for some solid names for your next short story? Why not start here:

The MTA employees arrested were:
- Kipkino A. Primus (aka Kipkino Stephens) West 33rd Street, Brooklyn
- Milton S. Richards (aka Milton Richards different DOB) 220th Place, Jamaica
- Shawzair Khan (aka Tyron Osca) 164th Street, Jamaica
- Ramon A. Acosta (aka Luis Nieves) Saratoga Avenue, Brooklyn

The other commercial drivers arrested were:
- Leroi M. Robinson (aka Lararn M. Robinson aka Emanuel K. Johnson ) Howard Avenue, Brooklyn
- Guei G. Michel (aka Traore Abou) Nicholas Avenue, Manhattan
- Mody S. Barrie (aka Ibrahima S. Barry aka Alpha M. Barry) 112th Street, Morningside
- Charles Webb (aka Felix M. Webb) 166th Street, Addisleigh Park
- John Lopez (aka John Santiago) Villa Avenue, Bronx
- Hashmat Shah (aka Naveed Shah) Beach Avenue, Copiague
- Vincent M. Hart (aka Vincent H. Tyson) Hunters Lane, New Cassel currently works for Independent Coach Corp.
- Frank Romanek (aka Frank Romanek different DOB) Beck Street, Mitchell Field
- Abel F. Louis (aka Louini Louis) Avenue D, Brooklyn
- Ronel Pierre (aka Carol A. Morgan) East 34th Street, Brooklyn currently works for Empire Paratransit Corp
- Shola T. Johnson (aka Lee G. Edwards aka Kevin Starling) Austin Avenue, Amity Harbor
- Bernard Cradle (aka Rodman Cradle) Alabama Avenue, Brooklyn
- Jean U. Paris (aka Ulrick Joseph) Kinkel Street, New Cassel
- Zhen Shui Zheng (aka Swai Zhen Ming) Madison Street, Knickerbocker, Manhattan
- Franck Baptiste (aka Patrick Rowe) 118th Avenue, Addisleigh Park
- Sajid M. Choudhry (aka Sajid Mohmood) 164th Street, Jamaica
- Talik T. Bey (aka Lionel D. Lewis) Hurlbut Street, Albany
- Pierre R. Cesar (aka Pierre Malcolm) Brookside Avenue, Babylon
- Saulon Eduardo Montoyta (aka Felipe E. Montoya) Leonard Boulevard, New Hyde Park
- Maximo F. Yaguana (aka Manuel Salmas) 128th Street, College Point
- Nicky C. Ogedegbe (aka Charles Ogedegbe) 145th Avenue, Jamaica
- Ahmadou Tambadou (aka Ahmadou Tambadou different DOB) 57th Avenue, Corona
- Roland Jeanty (aka Rolando Jeantyle) Brookhaven Avenue, Far Rockaway
- Shabaz Muhammad (aka Muhammad Shahbaz) 188th Street, Flushing
- Hennessy Verlus (aka Jean Beauvais) Tremper Avenue, Eddyville
- Amgad B. Hammad (aka Amgad B. Ibrahim aka Amgad A. Hammad) Vleigh Place, Flushing
- Ahmeh M. Ali (aka Ahmed S. Mohamed) Skillman Avenue, Flushing
- Jun-Shu Lee (aka Joon Soo Lee) 41st Street, Astoria
- Garry V. Bernadeau (aka Amos Alce) 152nd Street, Addisleigh Park
- Muhammad Tariq (aka Tariq Hussain) Newkirk Avenue, Brooklyn
- Satwant Singh (aka Nick Singh) 120th Street, Jamaica
- Milton C. Urena (aka Milton S. Urena) 93rd Street, Flushing
- Aston H. Whilby (aka Vincent Whilby) Remsen Avenue, Brooklyn
- Tara Chand (aka Raj Kumar Verma) Broadway, Elmhurst
- Wesley Robinson (aka Jovell K. Sayles) 217th Street, Bellerose Manor
- Adama Doumbia (aka Souleymane A. Doumbia) Boston Road, Bronx
- Valery Duvert (aka Eliassaint Deshomme) Montgomery Street, Brooklyn
- Ramon S. Delmonte (aka Felix R. Ortiz) Creston Avenue, Bronx currently works for TLC Transportation Corp of Westchester
- Orlando Bonilla (aka Diordy Camilo) Calhoun Avenue, Bronx
- John M. Concepcion (aka Juan M. Mosca) Belmont Avenue, Long Island
- Errol G. Robinson (aka Christian M. Mardiant) 230th Street, Jamaica
- Ralph Codio (aka Ralph Godio) East Melrose Street, North Valley Stream
- Michelet Louis-Jean (aka Mikhael Benyssashkar) 229th Street, Jamaica
- Roswald Jean-Jacques (aka Ronald Jean-Jacques) 193rd Street, Hollis
- Milan R. Parik (aka Milan Hunter) 56th Road, Flushing
- Abel A. Tavares (aka Abel Taveras different DOB) Van Nest Avenue, Bronx
- David Larry (aka Lawrence Lipkin) Carney Street, Glen Cove

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Garth Johnston in News on August 18, 2011 4:15 PM

Comments [rss]

JPeditor

And what supporting ID documents did these criminal masterminds submit to support the DL application?

nomadnewyork

That Chinese one probably isn't a duplicate. The names are essentially the same. Jun-Shu Lee (aka Joon Soo Lee)

cheese101

Oops, I guess I should destroy my Dr. Seuss license quickly.

callmeL

I don't understand - MTA (a city agency) and the DMV (a govt one) is just finding this out?

imadick

mta and dmv are both state agencies. and the mta has nothing to do with it, it's just that some of the people caught work at the mta.

Gepap

The MTA isn't an agency, its an Authority, which is significant difference.

imadick

oh yeah? what's the diff?

Inspector Spacetime

Authorities are standalone semi-autonomous entities, capable of making decisions about their governance, revenue intake and strategic plans - without a direct line to a publicly-elected official. An Authority can issue and sell bonds to meet its capital needs. The DMV can't do this. Some Authorities are in a weaker position; some have governing boards with a subset of people appointed by elected officials, and some are very vulnerable to public outcry. It's also possible for an elected executive to be given a veto over an authority's actions, but that's not the same as being owned and run by that elected executive. Congress makes laws that can be vetoed by the President, but it doesn't mean that the President owns and manages Congress. The basic bones of an Authority are different than that of a department.

Peanut_Butter

I love the parenthetical (the MTA has
"zero tolerance for this type of behavior")
LOL

Guest

i'm disappointed, not one McLovin?

Nos Feratu

When I was in high school I knew a guy who applied for multiple social security cards using different names. It was relatively easy to do back then. At the time I thought he was just a weirdo, but know I can appreciate the genius of it all. A very prescient fellow he was.

RammyH

Wow, Bart's short - 10yo and only 48inches?

MattyGC

ok, "Garth Johnston"

David

Haha, it's on now. I think this means Garth has to tell us about any abuse he got over his name as a kid.

Garth Johnston

You know, it wasn't really that bad. Lots of "Garf The Barf" in elementary school followed by years of "are you related to Garth Brooks?" Which, sadly, I still sometimes get. Because people with the same first name are always related!

Some kids tried to taunt me with "Party on, Garth!" but the joke was on them since I have no beef with Wayne's World (true story: the only time I've ever met a Wayne I went up to him and said "Hey Wayne, my name is Garth!...Party on, Wayne!" and he just stared at me blankly). The only other real name-based stuff I get is the occasional "Garth Vader," which I kinda dig, and "Garth...is that short for Gartholomew?," which is just silly.

I'm still waiting for somebody to make a solid Garth Williams reference, but I don't think anybody remembers who he was even–if everyone recognizes his work.

Guest

You never got a "World According to Garth" jab?

CityFace

You mean you didn't change your name from Gern Blanston, Mr. Martin?

David

Nice, thanks for that...

And here I was, with The Simpsons on the brain, kind of hoping that you would have had trouble finding "Garth" personalized license plates at tacky amusement park gift shops but no trouble finding "Gartholomew," leading to an hilarious exchange between a bystander so named and the mother of a little boy.

CityFace

I don't think "amazing" means what you think it means.

jaycjay

Yeah. I admit I got bored and stopped reading the names after a couple dozen, but they're all just regular, boring names. At least, by New York City standards.