United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced the arrests of eleven defendants in connection with a multimillion-dollar scheme to evade tolls and parking and traffic tickets using fraudulently obtained temporary license plates. The defendants are charged in a five-count indictment with offenses including wire fraud and access device fraud. All eleven defendants were arrested between May 19, 2026 and May 20, 2026, and nine of the eleven are expected to appear in White Plains federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik. Felix DeJesus Jimenez is expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian S. Meyers in the Eastern District of North Carolina. RAMON ELIGIO DEJESUS PERALTA is expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marty Fulgueira Elfenbein in the Southern District of Florida.
“For over five years, the defendants allegedly conspired to use fraudulently obtained temporary license plates, or ‘temp tags,’ to avoid fees, tolls, and parking traffic tickets,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Their schemes deprived New York State and New York City of millions of dollars in revenue. Hard-working, honest New Yorkers were footing their bills. This Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting New Yorkers from fraud, waste, and abuse. The defendants allegedly spent years scheming to avoid tolls and tickets. Their bill has now come due.”
“These individuals allegedly turned temporary tags into tools for evading accountability, allowing drivers to dodge tolls, and lawful traffic penalties,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle. “Investigations found approximately a total of $15 million in unpaid parking violations, tolls, and vehicle registrations. Not only were millions of dollars in unpaid violations uncovered, but investigators also found that certain temporary registrations and license plates were linked to multiple criminal offenses. The FBI will not tolerate bad actors violating government rules.”…