Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), issued the following statement on the guilty plea by AHOINSOU DJOGBESSI, 51, of Queens, N.Y., on charges related to his acceptance of over $3,000 from two undercover DOI investigators (“Undercover 1” and “Undercover 2”) posing as applicants for drivers’ licenses issued by the City Taxi and Limousine Commission (“TLC”), in exchange for DJOGBESSI agreeing to take the TLC licensing test for the Undercover Investigators and helping one of them pass the test. DOI investigated this matter with the office of Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, which is prosecuting the case.
DJOGBESSI was charged in a criminal complaint in July 2024 and indicted in July 2025 on charges that included Impairing the Integrity of a Government Licensing Examination, a class D felony, Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony, and several class A misdemeanors. DJOGBESSI pled guilty today to one count of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E felony. As part of the plea, DJOGBESSI agreed to pay a $4,500 fine. He will be sentenced on September 9, 2025.
Commissioner Strauber said, “Facilitating cheating on exams required to obtain a City license in exchange for cash is a crime and undermines City regulations, including those involving public safety. With this guilty plea the defendant is held accountable for his conduct. I thank the Queens District Attorney’s Office for its partnership and commitment to ensure the integrity of City processes, and the TLC for its cooperation in this investigation.”
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said, “It is imperative that all drivers learn the rules of the road and follow them, especially those who operate livery cars and are entrusted with keeping passengers safe. This defendant skirted the law by helping undercover investigators posing as TLC license applicants bypass mandated training and cheat on the licensing exam. Thank you to our partners at the Department of Investigation and for their work on this investigation.”
According to the criminal complaint, Undercover 1 visited DJOGBESSI’s office in August 2022, where DJOGBESSI explained that he could facilitate and expedite the TLC application process, and guarantee a passing test score on the TLC licensing exam, in exchange for a fee. In total, Undercover 1 paid $2,370, plus a TLC application fee of $257.04, to DJOGBESSI between October and December 2022. On December 20, 2022, DJOGBESSI met Undercover 1 at a TLC testing location and escorted Undercover 1 to a computer. Approximately 32 minutes into the 120-minute exam, DJOGBESSI walked over to Undercover 1’s computer station, indicated that he should move over, then crouched down at Undercover 1’s station below the cubicle wall and answered 79 of the 80 examination questions in eight minutes. With approximately 30 minutes of the exam remaining, DJOGBESSI instructed Undercover 1 to leave the room, at which point Undercover 1 was informed by another individual that he was free to leave and should check his email for exam results. Undercover 1 ultimately received a passing score on the exam. Later, in May 2024, Undercover 2 appeared at DJOGBESSI’s offices and paid a first installment of $1,270, plus a TLC application fee of $257.04, to DJOGBESSI, pursuant to an agreement that DJOGBESSI would provide the same package of services to Undercover 2.
Commissioner Strauber thanked Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz and her dedicated staff, including Assistant District Attorney Manaal Khokhar and Bureau Chief Christine Oliveri, both of the District Attorney’s Public Corruption Bureau, which prosecuted the case. Commissioner Strauber also thanked TLC Commissioner David Do and his staff for their cooperation and assistance.
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