HOUSTON — A former city of Houston employee has been arrested and charged in what investigators are calling a bribery scheme in which she took money from motorists to remove wheel-locking boots from ticketed cars.
Prosecutors said Aisha Mercer, 45, is facing a felony bribery charge. The city said Mercer resigned from her parking enforcer position after an internal investigation.
The city of Houston issued the following statement regarding the allegations:
"The former ParkHouston employee arrested by the Houston Police Department for allegedly directing parking violators to pay fees to her personal account via a third-party payment app service is no longer employed by the City of Houston. The individual resigned from ParkHouston after an internal investigation was launched following allegations ParkHouston received from a customer.
"ParkHouston is fully cooperating with the Houston Police Department’s investigation. We have no additional information to share at this time.
"Please be aware that if a wheel-locking boot is placed on your vehicle by parking enforcement, the only way to pay the fee for its removal is to call the phone number listed on the sticker placed on your window. ParkHouston officers cannot take direct payments for citations or to release a boot. If you are not sure how to resolve a situation – call 311."
Mercer's bond was set at $3,000.
If you believe you may have been a victim, contact Houston police at 713-884-3131.