JAILED: Banned driver posed as brother to get taxi licence
A taxi driver has been jailed for more than two years after impersonating his brother to get a licence and carrying out hundreds of jobs while disqualified.
Moshin Zeb was banned from the road in September 2013 for dangerous driving.
But last year the 24-year-old gave fraudulent papers to Walsall Council to gain a licence to drive taxis and private hire vehicles in the borough. The documents were in the name of his brother.
Between February 7 and March 16 he racked up more than 500 pre-booked taxi journeys, all for profit, despite the fact he was not allowed to drive and was not insured.
But his elaborate ruse was foiled when a member of the public tipped off the council who discovered Zeb was not who he said he was.
He was charged with five counts of fraud in relation to the documents he supplied the authority between January and April last year.
He was also charged with driving whilst disqualified and driving without a licence.
Zeb, of George Road in Erdington, later admitted the allegations in court.
At Wolverhampton Crown Court on Thursday he was sentenced to 28 months in prison for the multiple counts of fraud.
He was also sentenced to four months jail time for driving whilst disqualified and four more months for having no insurance, but all sentences are to be served concurrently.
Zeb was also disqualified from driving for three years and six months.
Judge Wassall told him he had put hundreds of passengers at risk knowing that they would not have been insured.
He added that he had placed members of the public in an 'insidious position'.
Councillor Ian Shires, culture and leisure chief, said: "He knew exactly what he was doing when he started impersonating his brother; taxi drivers are in a position of trust and the public have a right to feel safe each time they use their services.
"As a father and husband, the question you have to ask yourself each time a member of your family uses a taxi is ‘Is my son, daughter or partner safe in the company of this person?’.
"The fact that Mr Zeb was disqualified for dangerous driving says it all really.
"This case highlights the important work that our enforcement officers do to ensure that taxis are a safe transport option for the public.
"I’d like to thank officers for their vigilance and reassure residents that we will do all we can to ensure their safety."
