Notorious “Taxi King” Gene Freidman was arrested at his Manhattan home on charges he ripped off the state for millions of dollars in taxi surcharges, authorities said Wednesday.
Freidman, who has been subject to a slew of criminal charges, civil suits, and professional penalties over the past two years, has been indicted and will be presented this afternoon in Albany to face four counts of criminal tax fraud in the first degree and one count of first-degree grand larceny, said a spokesman for state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison.
Freidman failed to hand over more than $5 million collected in 50 cent surcharges on cab rides that is supposed to go to the state to help pay for the MTA, said Schneiderman.
“The ‘Taxi King’ built his empire by stealing from New Yorkers – pocketing money that should have instead been invested in our transportation system,” said Schneiderman. “No one is above the law, and my office will use every tool available to hold accountable those who cheat the system.”
Cops busted Freidman at his Upper East Side home Tuesday and took him upstate this morning to face the charges.
Earlier this year, the Taxi & Limousine Commission took away Freidman’s cab management licenses and he lost dozens of the cabs he owned to bankruptcy, but he still has a few dozen.
His cab ownership operations reportedly hit hard times thanks to ride-share apps such as Uber. Freidman, 46, who has been choosing to represent himself in recent court cases, is in police custody and could not be reached for comment.