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Plate Scam Hits City: Temporary Tag ‘Scheme’ Leads To Charges For Local Pair

Photo by the Jamestown Police Department

An investigation that kicked off in the fall over complaints of vehicles driving in the city of Jamestown bearing fictitious temporary Texas license plates has resulted in charges for a local pair.

The Jamestown Police Department on Tuesday announced the arrests of 22-year-old Jonathan B. Camacho-Monge and 30-year-old Cheyanna L. Wright, each charged with second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, a class D felony. Camacho-Monge was taken into custody Dec. 2 while Wright was taken into custody Monday.

The temporary license plates — according to investigators with the state Department of Motor Vehicles — were found to be “fictitious and were not legal to be possessed in New York state.”

In a news release, Jamestown police said the temporary tags were reportedly being purchased from an online seller for a fixed price for month-to-month use.

“The tags bear the name of a small car dealer in Texas and also an expiration date,” the department said. “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.”

Another local resident, 25-year-old Cassandra A. Wright. was charged this week with obstructing governmental administration after she allegedly attempted to interfere and obstruct the arrest of Cheyanna Wright.

Police have so far seized one vehicle that had the false tags — a 2016 Buick Verano. Investigators were aware of several other vehicles that were also involved and operated by the pair that include a 2005 Infinity G35 black in color and a 2006 BMW 530 black in color.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the Infinity or the BMW is asked to contact police at 716 483-7537 or anonymously via Tips 716 483-8477.

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