Florida Man Arrested After He Used High-Tech License Plate to Dodge Tolls
According to reporting from CBS Miami, the Miami-Dade Police Department has arrested a Florida man who allegedly used a sophisticated license plate cover in order to avoid paying highway tolls.
Robert Craig Davis of Key Largo, Florida was arrested after he was allegedly caught in the act using the advanced license plate cover to obscure his plate as his vehicle passed under a SunPass toll camera. One of the things that is especially notable about this case is that Mr. Davis apparently had the ability to use a button to remove the cover from the license plate after he exited the toll plaza.
Evading Tolls in Florida: What Can You Be Charged With?
Minor Violations
In Florida, drivers who are caught evading tolls can be sanctioned in a number of different ways — they could even face criminal charges. As a general matter, if you are caught evading a toll in South Florida, you are likely to receive a letter in the mail. You will be charged the price of the toll along with a mild financial penalty. While this is certainly an annoyance, going through a SunPass toll and receiving a violation letter is not a big deal. You can pay the fine and move on.
Multiple Violations — No Payment
The bigger legal issues arise when drivers rack up many different toll violations or when they do not pay the fines that have been issued to them. In some cases, drivers could end up owing thousands of dollars. If the state determines that an individual is not taking adequate action to pay back their toll violations, then their driver’s license could be suspended. This is obviously a very serious matter. If you are caught driving on a suspended license, you could face criminal charges. If you find yourself in this situation, you should speak to an experienced Miami defense lawyer as soon as possible.
Intentional, Sophisticated Violations
Finally, there are circumstances in which Florida police officers will bring direct criminal charges against drivers who they believe have intentionally evaded a toll. Indeed, that is exactly what happened in this case. CBS Miami reports that the driver was charged with organized fraud, cheating, and petit theft.
Under Florida state law, it is illegal to alter the appearance of a license plate. As Mr. Davis allegedly did this in order to repeatedly evade a toll, he has been charged with fraud. If you find yourself facing fraud charges or any other criminal charge related to alleged toll evasion, you should contact an experienced defense attorney who can protect your legal rights.
Get Help From a Miami, FL Criminal Defense Lawyer
At Ratzan & Faccidomo, LLC, our South Florida criminal defense attorneys are committed to providing skilled, effective representation to our clients. If you or a family member was arrested and charged with a crime Miami, please do not hesitate to contact our legal team today at 305-600-3519 for a fully confidential criminal defense consultation.
Resource:
miami.cbslocal.com/2018/11/20/miami-dade-police-arrest-man-caught-using-sophisticated-license-plate-cover-to-avoid-tolls/
