In a city where streets are clogged with traffic and finding a parking space is tantamount to a game of motorized musical chairs, the abuse of parking privileges has long angered residents.

Drivers using city-issued placards to park in handicapped spots and in bus lanes, among other places, have enabled a small army of activists to mobilize on social media to expose violators.

But on Tuesday, the city’s Department of Investigation announced a new twist in parking placard abuse: Eight individuals were arrested and charged with forging placards as part of a scheme to have their parking tickets dismissed.

The perpetrators were accused of trying to pass themselves off as municipal employees or workers for employers with access to city-issued placards who could claim that they were entitled to parking privileges as part of their official duties.

“Parking comes at a premium in a city like New York and using fraudulent placards to circumvent the rules is a crime,” Margaret Garnett, the commissioner of the Department of Investigation, said in a statement.

“These individuals abused city parking regulations and attempted to escape paying the penalties by posing as city employees with city-issued placards or by using fake handicap parking placards reserved for those in real need,” Ms. Garnett added.

The defendants were led to their arraignment in State Supreme Court in Manhattan on Tuesday in handcuffs, bowing their heads as members of the news media swarmed around them, taking photos.

The eight defendants, who are from New York and New Jersey, were charged with offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree. Many of the tickets they were trying to get dismissed were for failing to display a parking meter receipt. All the defendants pleaded not guilty.

One of the defendants, Maxhun Hykosmani, 53, was accused of submitting a fake Law Department parking placard to the Department of Finance last year in an effort to get his ticket dismissed.

Ramon Arias, 57, is accused of providing a fake placard from the New York Blood Center.

Four of those arrested, Ying Lin, 47, Elliot Obeng-Dompreh, 33, Arsen Iskhakov, 47, and Candida Roman, 47, were accused of submitting fraudulent handicap parking placards that looked like they had been issued by the Department of Transportation.

Adrian Ramprasad, 47, was charged with providing a fake placard from the city’s Law Department, while Jennifer Rosario, 36, was accused of submitting a placard made to appear like it had been assigned to the Postal Service.

Mr. Arias declined to comment following his arraignment. His lawyer, Glenn Hardy, said, “It’s up to the prosecutors to prove their case.”

Ms. Rosario said she disagreed with the charges because “I’m a postal employee.”

Mr. Ishakov declined to comment, while lawyers for the remaining defendants could not be immediately reached.

If convicted, the defendants face up to four years in prison.

Earlier this year, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city would be cracking down on municipal employees who abuse their parking privileges by displaying the signs while parked illegally — including in crosswalks, on sidewalks and in bus and bike lanes — or while using personal vehicles when not working.

Transportation advocates say the police fail to vigorously target scofflaws in part because some officers themselves abuse using their placards.

Under the de Blasio administration, the number of city-issued placards has soared and critics have accused the mayor of not doing enough to tackle their abuse.

The number of city-issued placards has nearly doubled to 125,500 in 2018, from 67,297 in 2008, according to city records.

Jan Ransom contributed reporting.

Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura was previously based in London, where she covered an eclectic beat ranging from politics to social issues spanning Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Born and raised in Paris, she speaks Japanese, French, Spanish and Portuguese. @kimidefreytas • Facebook

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