NYC on drive to end use of illegal and counterfeit license plates

New York City is stepping up a drive against illegal and counterfeit paper license plates by seizing vehicles bearing the bogus documents and in some cases, selling the captured automobiles at auction, officials said Tuesday.

With the NYPD auto pound in Queens, where some seized vehicles are stored, as a backdrop, Mayor Eric Adams said drivers use the bogus plates to avoid being held accountable for speeding. They also fasten the fake plates to “ghost vehicles," Adams said, which then are used in the commission of other crimes such as shootings.

“We know of ghost guns,” said Adams, referring to the emergence of untraceable plastic firearms. “We now know of ghost vehicles. Ghost guns can’t be traced. Ghost vehicles can’t be traced, And we know if we can’t get them off the streets, just like ghost guns, they become weapons of death for our innocent New Yorkers.”

Adams held up several paper license plates, mostly temporary, issued in Georgia, New Jersey and Texas, that were either counterfeits or expired temporary license plates commonly issued while owners wait for permanent plates. Since July 2021, officials said, more than 800 vehicles have been seized with fake plates.

The mayor made particular reference to a June 25 case in which police said a stolen Honda with incorrect, expired South Carolina license plates evaded a car stop in Brooklyn and struck several people, fatally injuring a 67-year-old grandmother and critically injuring an 8-year-old child. The driver fled the scene.

NYPD Chief of Transportation Kim Royster noted that in 2021, out of 272 fatal vehicle crashes in the city, eight involved bogus and illegal plates.

Adams and Royster noted that the city has started a special interagency working group to coordinate the action of the NYPD and other agencies such as the New York City Sheriff’s Office to go after the ghost cars.

“We are training our police officers not to drive by these plates, not to drive by these vehicles, but to stop them, conduct an investigation, determine if a crime has taken place and take action.” Adams said.

The possession of a forged plate on a vehicle is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine and up to a year in jail, Royster said. The vehicles can also be seized, Royster said, and if not claimed by the owner, sold at auction.

Adams made a pointed reference to a 2014 Maserati at the auto pound that has not been claimed.

“You own a Maserati, why the hell aren’t you coming back for it?,” Adams asked. “You don’t want to come back for it.”

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.com

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.