CBS 2 Exclusive: Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney Charged With Forgery

NEW YORK (CBS 2) -- Drivers come up with creative ways to avoid paying for parking, but a Brooklyn assistant district attorney may have taken things too far.

Now he's charged with forgery, CBS 2's Tony Aiello reported exclusively on Friday.

In neighborhoods near the Brooklyn Courthouse, good luck finding street parking.

"It's hard to find parking around here," resident Danny Markovitz said.

Joyce Draganowsky of Cobble Hill said she got so tired of the situation, "We ended up having to get an indoor garage and paying for it."

Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney Christopher Carrion apparently didn't want to pay for parking. He is accused of forgery after allegedly making his own version of an official parking placard -- a coveted perk some court employees use to reserve their own spot on the street.

For Carrion, this was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was spotted sitting in his car by a detective who works for District Attorney Ken Thompson, Aiello reported.

According to the criminal complaint, the detective saw Carrion's placard with the New York City seal and immediately suspected it was a homemade forgery.

The DA's office badge, which the detective knew Carrion was not authorized to have, was also on the dashboard.

Investigators allege Carrion took the badge from a co-worker and charged him with possessing stolen property.

Carrion is 27 and a recent law school grad. He joined the office last summer as a pro-bono assistant district attorney.

Pro-bono prosecutors do research and handle court cases without getting paid for the work experience. A source told CBS 2 Carrion admitted to the crimes, saying "parking around here is expensive and I can't afford it."

Markovitz said he didn't feel sorry for Carrion.

"(It's a) very arrogant attitude. I think you should just try to find parking like everyone else. Park on the meter and go look for parking like everyone else, you know?" he said.

Aiello reached Carrion on Friday but he had nothing to say.

He was hired by former DA Charles Hynes. A spokesman for new DA Thompson would only say Carrion is no longer coming into the office and his job status is under review.

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