Fraud cost me $50,000
A small-business owner who tried to save money by hiring a broker to challenge parking tickets now faces a $50,000 hit because the intermediary turned out to be a scam artist.
Frank Mitarotondam thought Emmanuel Amofah was a miracle worker when he won dismissals for about $10,000 in parking tickets run up by his Westchester fire-safety company, Chief Fire Prevention and Mechanical Corp.
“When you hire someone like Emmanuel, that seems like a godsend. The guy was phenomenal,” Mitarotondam told The Post.
But officials say Amofah was doctoring Muni-Meter receipts and using his knowledge as a former administrative law judge to game the system.
When the city discovered the massive scam, it went after his former clients for triple damages.
Amofah himself got a slap on the wrist — a five-year suspension from dealing as a summonses broker, the maximum penalty. He did not appear at his administrative hearing.
Mitarotondam now owes $39,675 on top of the base price of his summonses, court records show.
The contractor outfits restaurants and other commercial spaces with ventilation, fire-safe duct work and smoke detectors. He said the huge fines make it even harder to conduct business in the city.
“It’s virtually impossible to park our trucks in New York City,” he said. “Not getting the work done that’s required puts city agencies at risk — whether it’s the Buildings Department, Fire Department — we’re a fire-safety company.”
Mitarotondam is appealing the additional penalties.
“It’s cost me over $45,000 to $50,000 between fines, attorneys and penalties,” he said.