Vendors accused of selling fake tickets to Statue of Liberty

The Associated Press
May 19, 2016 at 2:12PM
FILE - In this June 2, 2009 file photo, the Statue of Liberty is seen in New York harbor. The Statue of Liberty will close for a year at the end of October as it undergoes a $27.25 million renovation that will make the interior safer and more accessible, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced Wednesday Aug. 10, 2011.
The Statue of Liberty in New York harbor. (Associated Press - Ap/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

NEW YORK — Authorities say police have arrested nearly two dozen people on charges of selling fake tickets to two of New York City's biggest tourist attractions.

The vendors allegedly sold unsuspecting tourists tickets to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Police say the tickets actually were for ferries around New York Harbor that made no stops.

Police say some of the ticket hawkers were parolees with a history of serious crimes.

Authorities say the vendors face charges of fraudulent accosting.

The New York Times says the vendors worked for five different companies contracted to sell tickets for boat operators offering tours of the harbor. Police say three of the businesses were run by parolees.

about the writer

about the writer

More from No Section

See More
FILE -- A rent deposit slot at an apartment complex in Tucker, Ga., on July 21, 2020. As an eviction crisis has seemed increasingly likely this summer, everyone in the housing market has made the same plea to Washington: Send money — lots of it — that would keep renters in their homes and landlords afloat. (Melissa Golden/The New York Times) ORG XMIT: XNYT58
Melissa Golden/The New York Times

It’s too soon to tell how much the immigration crackdown is to blame.