Louisiana

ZURIK: Fake license plates plague southeast Louisiana roads

Published

2 years ago

May 23, 2024

ZURIK: Fake license plates plague southeast Louisiana roads

KENNER, La. (WVUE) – Fake license plates are creating safety concerns on southeast Louisiana roads and leaving victims helpless.

Amanda Holman experienced the issue firsthand when she was hit by a car with a fake temporary license plate.

“I was on the interstate, right past the Transcontinental Overpass on my way home from work,” she recalled. “There’s traffic always in that curve by Veterans going towards Kenner. I slowed down and got hit from the back by a car.”

They pulled over, but the police never came.

The other driver didn’t speak English and, fearing for her safety on the side of the interstate, Holman left the scene after photographing the tags.

“I was like, well, at least if I take a picture of the license plate, that should help,” she said.

Tracking down the other driver turned out to be impossible. Holman later discovered the plate was counterfeit.

Fake license plates on Southeast Louisiana roads are causing safety and insurance concerns(Kenner Police)

There are likely thousands of fake license plates on southeast Louisiana roads. Over a few week, Fox 8 took pictures of license plates and cross-referenced them with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Fox 8 found 719 fake temp tags in parishes all over the area. Fifteen vehicles had the same license plate number, 18347697. All were allegedly issued by Alexandria-based company Gladiator. The OMV says that tag number was issued once in 2009 to an auto group in Hammond.

Fourteen cars across the metro area had the license plate number 19072146. The labeling on who issued it varied from vehicle to vehicle.

According to law enforcement, fake license plates usually indicate uninsured drivers.

Holman had to pay for the damages to her car with her insurance.

“We already have the highest insurance rates in the country,” she said. “My insurance is now almost double. I pay $663 a month for two vehicles because I had to claim my own insurance.”

The car that hit Holman had a temp tag registered to Crosy Auto Title in Tickfaw. Terri Crosby closed that business six years ago but says she feels victimized by plates popping up all across the metro area with her former company’s name.

“A name that I used to use… of a business that’s been closed since 2018. And faking fraudulent documents and fraudulent temp tags, which is putting the public at risk,” she said. “And you go hire an attorney and the attorney can’t help you.”

She says she has gotten calls from roughly 100 law enforcement agencies ranging from nearby Jefferson and Tanigpahoa parishes, to as far away as Bridgewater, New Jersey, and New York City.

“I’ve never been to New Jersey. I don’t know anybody that lives in New Jersey. But the police officers said that this particular one in New Jersey was used in the commission of a crime,” Crosby said.

Crosby provided Fox 8 with receipts she’s obtained from buyers of the fake temp tags with her company’s name. Someone, using a fake OMV document with a fake Crosby email address, is charging up to $6,000 for counterfeit tags.

Some 20% of over 700 temp tags Fox 8 spotted had the Crosby Auto Title name on them.

Fox 8 easily found a Crosby tag on the internet. Ready to print and be fraudulently stuck on the back of a car. Crosby says it’s ruining her name and reputation.

“It’s the most important thing, I think, I live for. Other than my family and God. That is who we are. To see this, it hurts. It’s so puzzling because it’s like, just another form of crime that we’re experiencing now. There’s no way to stop criminals who want to be criminals,” Crosby said.

ZURIK INVESTIGATIONS

Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley says he’s trying to stop it.

“This is the number one threat to the residents here in Kenner,” he said. “This problem is of grave concern to law enforcement. And it should be to every community in the area.”

“They can cause bodily harm with no recourse and harm to your car with no recourse,” Crosby said. “Then you’re stuck with a bill from somebody who was fraudulent.”

Conley says he has teams of officers working the street. In the last 10 weeks, Kenner police have confiscated 70 fake tags.

“Over half of them had no insurance attached to the vehicle. Some of the vehicles weren’t even registered. They have what they call skeleton VIN numbers, that they should be in a salvage yard,” Conley said.

“Somebody has to be able to stop this,” Holman said. “These should be something you could just duplicate on your home computer or make a copy of and have no ramifications. We are all paying ridiculous insurance prices in this state already and this is just making it worse.”

“I’m not sure if there’s an easy answer to this, but we’re gonna have to figure something out,” Conley said. “It’s scary.”

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Louisiana

CWD Case Found in a White-tailed Deer in Concordia Parish, LDWF Announces

Published

4 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

CWD Case Found in a White-tailed Deer in Concordia Parish, LDWF Announces

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been reported in a hunter-harvested white-tailed buck in Concordia Parish, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) said. The buck was harvested on Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and is the first CWD detection in a wild deer in Concordia Parish.

CWD was first detected in Louisiana in 2022. The latest positive brings the total number of CWD detections for Louisiana to 44.

Initial diagnostics by the Louisiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (LADDL) detected CWD prion in tissue samples submitted by LDWF. Per required protocol, LADDL has forwarded the sample to the National Veterinary Services Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa for confirmatory testing. Final confirmation is anticipated in the coming weeks.

Due to this preliminary detection during the ongoing deer season, hunters are encouraged to submit additional hunter-harvest samples for testing. A CWD sample drop-off site is located along Highway 15 near the northern boundary of Richard K. Yancey WMA.

To obtain viable samples for testing, a fresh head including a few inches of neck is required. Data submission cards and bags are available on site. Once completed, the bagged deer head and data card should be placed in the available cooler at the CWD drop-off site.

LDWF is currently in the process of implementing the LDWF CWD response plan. More information regarding the response plan and intended mitigation efforts for this area will be forthcoming.

“We continue to count on our hunters, property owners, deer processors and taxidermists for their assistance in monitoring CWD as their continued partnership with our department will help manage the expanse of CWD in the state keeping our deer population healthy,’’ LDWF Secretary Tyler Bosworth said.

CWD is a neurodegenerative disease of white-tailed deer and other members of the Cervidae family. The disease is caused by a prion, an infectious, misfolded protein particle, and is 100-percent fatal in affected deer after an indeterminate incubation period. There is no treatment or preventative vaccine for CWD. CWD-infected deer may exhibit symptoms of weight loss and emaciation, salivation, frequent drinking and urination, incoordination, circling, lack of human fear, and subsequent death of the animal.

Although CWD has not been shown to be contagious to humans, the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend against the human consumption of deer known to be infected with CWD. Also, it is recommended that people hunting in areas known to harbor CWD-infected deer have their deer tested for the disease prior to consumption. LDWF provides CWD testing for hunter-harvested deer free of charge.

For more information on CWD, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/cwd.

Questions can be addressed to Dr. Jonathan Roberts at jroberts@wlf.la.gov or Johnathan Bordelon at jbordelon@wlf.la.gov.

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Louisiana

What Louisiana’s broadband cost cuts mean for families, taxpayers

Published

16 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

What Louisiana’s broadband cost cuts mean for families, taxpayers

Louisiana’s approach to expanding high-speed internet access is being recognized on the national stage,

Recently, The Wall Street Journal highlighted the state as a model for reducing costs while accelerating broadband deployment.

In a recent editorial, the Journal pointed to Louisiana as a case study in how streamlined regulations and efficient program design can significantly lower the cost of connecting households and businesses to high-speed internet.

According to the Journal, Louisiana sharply reduced its average cost per connection after adopting updated federal guidance.

“The average cost for each new household or business connected in Louisiana fell to $3,943 from $5,245,” The Wall Street Journal reported.

The editorial credited fewer procedural requirements and increased private-sector participation as key factors allowing states like Louisiana to stretch taxpayer dollars further while expanding access, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

Louisiana’s broadband strategy has drawn attention not only for its cost savings but also for how state leaders plan to reinvest those savings.

In September, Gov. Jeff Landry sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick outlining a proposal to redirect remaining broadband funds into state-led initiatives aligned with national priorities, including artificial intelligence, education, and workforce development.

In the letter, Landry requested federal flexibility to allow Louisiana to keep and use remaining grant funds within the state, rather than returning or reallocating them elsewhere. The governor argued that reinvesting the savings locally would support long-term economic growth, innovation, and community development across Louisiana.

Louisiana was also the first state in the nation to submit a revised broadband plan under the updated federal framework, positioning it at the forefront of efficient high-speed internet deployment. State officials said the approach not only accelerates connectivity but also opens the door to broader investments that strengthen education systems, workforce readiness, and emerging technologies.

As The Wall Street Journal noted, Louisiana’s experience is increasingly being viewed as a national example of how states can modernize infrastructure programs while delivering better value for taxpayers — a model that could influence broadband policy well beyond state lines.

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Louisiana

Federal regulators seek record fine over Louisiana offshore oil spill

Published

1 day ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Federal regulators seek record fine over Louisiana offshore oil spill

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The U.S. Department of Transportation under President Donald Trump is seeking a record $9.6 million civil penalty against a pipeline operator over a massive offshore oil spill that sent more than 1 million gallons of crude into waters off Louisiana.

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, known as PHMSA, announced the proposed penalty against Panther Operating Company for violations tied to the November 2023 failure of the Main Pass Oil Gathering pipeline system.

PHMSA said the $9,622,054 penalty is the largest civil fine ever proposed in a pipeline safety enforcement action.

Federal investigators concluded the spill released about 1.1 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf after a subsea pipeline connector failed and operators did not shut the system down for hours.

“Safety drives everything we do,” Duffy said in a statement. “When companies fail to abide by the rules, we won’t hesitate to act decisively.”

According to PHMSA, the violations involved failures in integrity management, operations and maintenance, leak detection, emergency response and protections for high-consequence areas.

The agency also proposed a compliance order requiring Panther to overhaul how it evaluates geological and geotechnical risks affecting the pipeline system.

The spill occurred along the 67-mile Main Pass Oil Gathering system, which transports crude oil from offshore production areas south of New Orleans. Oil was first spotted roughly 19 miles off the Mississippi River Delta, near Plaquemines Parish.

Federal investigators later determined the pipeline was not shut down for nearly 13 hours after pressure data first suggested a problem. Regulators said quicker action could have significantly reduced the volume released.

The National Transportation Safety Board said underwater landslides and storm-related seabed movement contributed to the failure and that the operator did not adequately account for known geohazards common in the Gulf.

PHMSA said Panther must now develop a plan to protect the pipeline against future external forces such as seabed instability, erosion and storm impacts. The company has 30 days to respond to the notice of probable violation and proposed penalty.

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