The Public Corruption Section of the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office has dismantled a scheme that involved the illegal sale of disability parking permits, obtained through falsified documents. In what has been dubbed "Operation Parking Denied," 11 individuals have been placed under arrest.
The arrests were carried out intermittently between April and August of this year and were publicly announced by the Sheriff's Office on Monday via social media. The announcement included an official poster displaying the photos and arrest dates of each of the accused.
Unveiling the Fraudulent Operation
Authorities revealed that the operation relied on intermediaries who provided applicants with falsified disability certification forms bearing forged doctor signatures. These forms were then submitted to appropriate offices to procure parking permits.
Each fraudulent permit was sold for $200.
Detectives discovered that many forms contained the names of doctors who had never treated the applicants. A particularly egregious case involved Lianne Quintero, who was arrested on August 13. According to the police report, she submitted a fraudulent application in May 2025 using the signature of a doctor who had passed away on May 5 of that year. Quintero admitted she had no disability and willingly surrendered the permit to authorities.
Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz confirmed that at least one case involved the signature of a doctor who retired in 2020 and passed away in 2025.
Identifying the Arrested Individuals
The official operation poster lists the following individuals as those arrested, with an unspecified number reportedly of Cuban origin:
- Ryan Carbonell (August 17)
- Roberto Lopez (August 14)
- Jorge Yanes (August 14)
- Irene Oria (August 14)
- Juan Aristizabal (August 13)
- Lianne Quintero (August 13)
- Etian Vila (August 12)
- Camilo Padilla (July 29)
- Kristina Drobachevskaia (July 21)
- Alexander Campo (July 21)
- Rafael Brito Diaz (April 6)
The Origin of the Investigation
This police operation stemmed from a comprehensive audit initiated in December 2025 by Miami-Dade's tax collector, Dariel Fernández, enforcing a zero-tolerance policy against permit abuse.
The audit reviewed all permanent and temporary permit applications issued over the past 24 months. By June of this year, nearly 42,000 applications had been examined, resulting in the cancellation of 5,656 permits, equating to 14% of those audited. Suspected fraudulent cases were forwarded to the Sheriff's Office for criminal action, leading directly to Operation Parking Denied.
As of the announcement, 6,190 of 7,349 applications had failed the final audit.
Fraud of this nature is not new to the county. In September 2022, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office prosecuted a 26-year-old woman for selling applications with forged medical signatures at the same $200 price identified in the current operation.
Legal Consequences for the Accused
Under Florida law, submitting false information to obtain a disability permit is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of $1,000, or both. A prior fraud conviction may also result in a four-year ban on applying for a new permit.
Fernández highlighted from the outset of the audit that fraudulent permits directly harm those most in need: "When a disability parking permit is issued or remains active based on incorrect information, it is the residents who truly need access who pay the price."
Sheriff Cordero-Stutz was firm in her assessment of the operation's results: "We are following this case wherever the evidence leads us. This isn't just a piece of plastic hanging from a rearview mirror. These placards exist because the most vulnerable members of our community need them in their daily lives."
The investigation continues, and authorities anticipate additional arrests in the coming weeks.
Questions About Disability Parking Permit Fraud in Miami
What was Operation Parking Denied?
Operation Parking Denied was an investigation by the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office that dismantled a fraud scheme involving the sale of disability parking permits obtained through falsified documents.
How were the fraudulent permits obtained?
Fraudulent permits were obtained by intermediaries who provided applicants with falsified disability certification forms, using forged signatures of doctors, to acquire parking permits.
What penalties do those involved in the fraud face?
Under Florida law, submitting false information for a disability permit is a first-degree misdemeanor, carrying a penalty of up to one year in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both, with possible additional restrictions for prior fraud convictions.