New York State Police impounded 140 vehicles and issued over 700 tickets this summer in a major crackdown on toll evasion and fake license plates, Governor Kathy Hochul announced.
The operations targeted drivers on the New York State Thruway who owed nearly $125,000 in unpaid tolls and used fraudulent or “ghost” plates to avoid detection. Officials have already recovered more than half that amount.
Ghost plates and unpaid tolls
The summer-long enforcement included three details—two at the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge and one in Buffalo. Troopers seized vehicles, issued 711 tickets, and focused on violators with suspended registrations and altered or obscured plates.
“These are not victimless crimes,” Governor Hochul said. “Just 20 vehicle owners accounted for nearly 60 percent of unpaid tolls. That’s money being taken out of your pockets.”…