Three Yonkers residents are accused of helping fuel a booming black market in fake temporary license plates that federal prosecutors say left about $15 million in unpaid tolls, parking and traffic tickets on the books. The 11 suspects were arrested in a sweep on May 19 and May 20, 2026, and many are expected to appear in federal court in White Plains.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York says the defendants are charged in a five-count indictment that includes conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit access device fraud and access device fraud. Prosecutors allege the ring used sham auto dealerships to churn out fraudulent “temp tags” that were sold across the region, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
Local coverage identified the Yonkers defendants as Jefrey Raphael Herrera Espinal, 26; Sammy Rodriguez Francisco, 25; and Clarisa Rodriguez Francisco, 27. That reporting also notes the full roster of 11 people charged includes residents of New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida and Manhattan, highlighting the interstate scope of the case, per Daily Voice Yonkers.
Prosecutors say the group created companies and used dealer licenses in New Jersey and Georgia to generate more than 100,000 temporary registrations, selling them for roughly $50 to $250 apiece. Those tags were linked to about $11.8 million in unpaid parking and traffic tickets in New York City and about $3.1 million in unpaid E‑ZPass tolls statewide. The temp tags were also tied to roughly 1,200 incidents reported to the NYPD, including at least six homicides, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
How the scheme worked
Investigators say the operation turned legitimate dealer paper tags into a street product that let drivers hide their real identities and skirt tolls and tickets. Previous reporting and regulatory crackdowns have traced that pipeline to out-of-state dealer lots and questionable licensing practices, as detailed by Streetsblog New York City.
Enforcement and public safety
City and state agencies have been running a sustained crackdown on so‑called “ghost plates,” teaming up for enforcement details on bridges and tunnels and impounding cars they say are gaming the system. The MTA and its law-enforcement partners have described hundreds of joint operations that have towed thousands of vehicles and used tools such as drones and license-plate readers to track repeat toll violators, according to MTA press materials.
Legal next steps
The defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit access device fraud and access device fraud. Some of those counts carry maximum sentences of up to 20 years, according to Daily Voice Yonkers. The case is being handled by the White Plains division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in court.
If you receive a toll notice or ticket you believe is tied to a fraudulent temporary tag, officials say you should keep all paperwork and contact E‑ZPass or local law enforcement to dispute the charge. Prosecutors say the investigation involved multiple federal, state and local partners, and additional court dates are expected in the coming weeks.
