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.

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.

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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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