JAMESTOWN, N.Y. (WKBW) — Jamestown police announced two people have been arrested following an investigation into a fake temporary vehicle tag scheme.
Police said 22-year-old Jonathan B. Camacho Monge and 30-year-old Cheyanna L. Wright were arrested and charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree.
According to police, in October investigators were advised of multiple vehicles in the Jamestown area that had Texas temporary license plates and the NYS DMV indicated the plates were fake and not legal to be possessed in the state.
Police described the scheme below:
"The temporary tags are reportedly purchased from an online seller for a fixed price for a month-to-month use. The tags bear the name of a small car dealer in Texas and also an expiration date. The small car dealers are selling thousands of the tags per day at a large profit and allowing its buyers to benefit from not paying registration, inspection, tolls, and insurance in the states they are being used. The vehicles involved in this investigation were deemed to have never been in the state of Texas and were not sold by the listed dealership. This scheme has been labeled by Investigators in Texas and New York as an ongoing “Criminal Enterprise” as it has expanded across the country and involves hundreds of thousands of fictitious temporary tags."
According to police, the fake temporary vehicle tags in this case were in the name of “Kasniels Auto" which is included in a list that has sold thousands of the fake temporary tags over a several month period.
Police said a 2016 Buick Verano with fake temporary tags was seized in this case and it is believe there are several others involved and operated by Camacho Monge and Wright. The others include a 2005 Infinity G35 and a 2006 BMW 530. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 716 483-7537 or anonymously via 716 483-8477. The investigation is ongoing in Texas.
