STATEN ISLAND — A scammer managed to convince tourists to pay him $400 for two tickets for rides on the free Staten Island Ferry, prosecutors said.
Gregory Reddick, 54, was arrested after he sold tourists two tickets for the ride from Manhattan to Staten Island, the New York Post first reported.
The ferry has has been free since 1997.
On Wednesday, Parks Enforcement officer Jean-Baptist Joseph caught Reddick, of Jamaica, Queens, approaching numerous people at Pier 18 offering to sell them tour tickets. Eventually one forked over the cash, prosecutors said.
When Joseph tried to get Reddick's ID and Parks Permit, Reddick pushed Joseph in the chest and ran away, prosecutors said.
After Joseph caught up to him, Reddick flailed his arms, refused to put them behind his back and tried to run away. Eventually, three officers surrounded Reddick who was pepper sprayed and put under arrest, prosecutors said.
Reddick has at least five aliases, six Social Security numbers, seven dates of birth, six felony convictions and has spent at least nine years in prison for burglary and credit card fraud, the Post reported.
He was charged with resisting arrest, unlawful vending in a New York City Park, obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office. He was released without bail and is due back in court on July 23, according to online court records.
Officers weren't able to find the tourists Reddick scammed to give them the $400 back, the Post reported.
Joseph Puleo, the head of the union that represents the Parks Enforcement Patrolmen, said they get between 20 to 40 complaints a day from vendors who said people were sold inflated tickets, used stubs or admission to places that are actually free.
"It's at the point now that they're selling people all sorts of amenities that don't exist," Puleo said. "This is a thriving industry, it's replaced three card monte."
Puleo said Reddick worked for "SJQ Sightseeing," a company with no permits from Parks which floods downtown Manhattan selling pedestrians fake tickets.
Geoffrey Croft, president of the NYC Park Advocates, said the city plans to put up a sign pointing out that the ferry is free. He called for more resources to tackle the scalpers.
"They need to step up and deal with it," Croft said.
The Parks Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
