(ANCHOR/ ONTRO)
WE’RE BACK WITH AN I-TEAM INVESTIGATION INTO A REAL AND GROWING PROBLEM —
HERE IN NEW YORK CITY AND BEYOND.
[[DEMOWIDE]]
*FAKE* TEMPORARY PLATES THAT MAKE VEHICLES UNTRACEABLE.. AND GIVE THE DRIVERS A “LICENSE TO STEAL.”
TONIGHT CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER JONATHAN DIENST EXPLAINS WHY FEDERAL AUTHORITIES ARE CALLING IT ONE OF THE TOP THREATS IN THE COUNTRY.
(DIENST/ PKG)
((INCIDENT 2 @9:04
A RECENT THURSDAY NIGHT, THREE MEN CARRYING PIZZAS BACK TO A CAR IN BROOKLYN. SUDDENLY THEY ARE TARGETED IN A DRIVE BY SHOOTING.
SLOW MO AND ZOOM OF CAR FIRING AND SPEEDING AWAY
THE GUNMEN SPEED AWAY FROM THIS FLATLANDS NEIGHBORHOOD IN A GREY SEDAN.
INCIDENT 1 4:58 NATS SHOTS FIRED AND SCREAMS
(NATS OF GUNFIRE)
FIVE DAYS EARLIER – SHOTS FIRED AND SCREAMS FROM THE VICTIMS SEEN HERE JUST MOMENTS BEFORE.
WALKING VIDEO
THEY WERE WALKING DOWN THE STREET AS THE SUSPECTS IN THE WHITE CAR PULLED UP AND OPEN FIRE.
MORE VIDEO MAYHEM OR SPLIT SCREEN MAYHEM
BOTH CRIMES STILL UNSOLVED IN PART BECAUSE THE VEHICLES CAN’T BE IDENTIFIED.
(STILL IMAGE OF PLATE FROM INCIDENT 1)
THE LICENSE PLATES WERE FAKE – FAKE TEMPRORARY PAPER ONES.
12:05 VIDEO
CAMERAS EVEN CATCHING ONE SUSPECT PUTTING ON A FAKE MOMENTS BEFORE THE ATTEMPTED HIT.
(SOT) DET. STFENELLI / NYPD AUTO CRIMES
IN:16:44:42 ONE REASON THAT IT HELPS THEM IS IT’S A GHOST CAR. THAT’S WHAT I CALL IT – A GHOST CAR. – PRETTY MUCH COULD BE UNDETECTABLE.
OUT:
TWO SHOT
DETECTIVE MAUREEN STEFENELLI WORKS IN THE NYPD’S AUTO CRIME UNIT.
MORE NYPD SURVELLANCE MAYHEM CRIME VIDEO
INCREASINGLY – SHE SAYS BOGUS TEMPORARY PLATES ARE BECOMING A TOOL OF CHOICE FOR VIOLENT CRIMINALS.
STEFENELLI HOLDING THE TAGS (CARRY OVER FIRST FEW WORDS OF HER BITE DISSOLVE TO VIDEO OF HER TALKING)
SHE SAYS THEY ARE EASY TO GET, EASY TO MAKE, EASY TO STEAL.
QUEENS SUSPECT CASE
THIS QUEENS ROBBERY SUSPECT USED ONE. POLICE SAY AFTER WALKING OUT OF CAMERA – HE ROBS A WOMAN – AND IS SOON SEEN RETURNING WITH A STOLEN PURSE. HE MAKES OFF IN HIS CAR WITH THE FAKE PAPER LICENSE PLATE.
STEFENELLI SOT 2
IN: 16:45:55 THEY WOULD PUT ILLEGITIMATE INFORMATION OR NOT REAL INFORMATION SO IT WOULD NOT BE TRACEABLE BACK TO THEM.
OUT:
DMV FILE OR TEMP TAGS BROLL QUEENS
DURING COVID – WITH DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLE OFFICES CLOSED – A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE GETTING TEMPORARY PAPER TAGS FOR LEGITIMATE REGISTRATION PURPOSES.
QUEENS PARKED CAR AFTER CAR
BUT HERE IN SOUTHEAST QUEENS FOR EXAMPLE – THERE IS A SEEMING EXPLOSION OF TEMPORARY TAGS.
TEXAS PLATES
MANY ARE FROM OUT OF STATE – LIKE TEXAS. CAR AFTER CAR AFTER CAR.
ONLINE TYPING GENERIC WITH TEXAS SEAL OR STATE OUTLINE GFX
WHY TEXAS ? THAT STATE MADE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO QUICKLY AND EASILY OBTAIN ACTUAL TEMPORARY REGISTRATIONS ONLINE FOR A FEE.
MORE GFX BULLET POINT OR TEXAS PLATE IN QUEENS
AND IN TEXAS – A FRAUDSTER OR AN UNSCRUPULOUS DEALER CAN HELP ANYONE, ANYWHERE GET A TEMPORTARY PLATE. FEW QUESTIONS ASKED. LITTLE VERIFICATION NEEDED.
ME WALKIGN WITH BURKE
VETERAN DETECTIVE THOMAS BURKE SAYS IT’S WAS SO EASY, WITH SO FEW SAFEGUARDS – SOME DIDN’T EVEN CONTACT A DEALER FOR HELP.
(SOT) DET. BURKE / NYPD AUTO CRIMES UNTI
IN: 16:43 YOU REALLY DIDN’T HAVE TO GO TO A MIDDLEMAN. YOU COULD JUST GO TO TEXAS DMV AND SAY HEY LISTEN THIS IS MY VIN NUMBER – CAN I GET A TEMPORARY.
OUT:
GFX INDFCITMENT
A RECENT FEDERAL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION IN TEXAS ACCUSES THREE PEOPLE OF CREATING FOUR FICTITIOUS DEALERSHIPS. THEY SOLD MORE THAN A HALF MILLION TEMPORARY TEXAS TAGS.
GFX SPECIFIC PULLOUT REFERENCE
AND THE INDICTMENT ALLEGES MANY HAD NEW YORK ADDRESSES.
BURKE SOT
IN: 17:07:10 OUT ON THE STREET THESE ARE UP TO $200, 300 AND JUST LOOK AT THE PROFIT MARGIN ON THIS.
OUT:
MORE PLATES ON CARS
INVESTIGATORS SAY FRAUDSTERS ARE ALSO MAKING PHOTOCOPIES OF LEGITIMATE PAPER PLATES. AND THE FAKE COPIES ARE SOLD THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA TO PEOPLE WHO CAN’T GET A REGISTRATION OR DON’T WANT TO PAY FOR INSURANCE – OR TOLLS. FOR EXAMPLE – THIS DODGE DURANGO MADE MANY TRIPS THROUGH NEW JERSEY TOLL PLAZAS, RACKING UP $4-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN FINES. BUT THOSE FINES WERE ALL SENT TO A NEW JERSEY HONDA FIT OWNER, WHO HAD THE LEGITIMATE TEMPORARY PLATE.
GW BRIDGE – FUDGE LICENSE PLATE #
A COUNTERFEIT SCAM COSTING THE PORT AUTHORITY MILLIONS.
(SOT) OWEN MCHANE /NYS DMV
15:02:45 a lot of states shift to cashless tolling People are trying to bypass that and they’re bypassing it by using these plates that cannot be linked back
(STANDUP)
POLICE SAY THEIR LICENSE PLATE READERS OFTEN CAN’T TELL IF A PAPER PLATE IS REAL OR FAKE. AND IT IS TIME CONSUMING FOR AN OFFICER TO TRY TO RESEARCH A SINGLE TEMPORARY PAPER TAG.
PHOTOS OF SAME PLATE ON THREE CARS GFX
LIKE THIS ONE. COPIES OF THE PAPER PLATE SEEN HERE WERE ON MULTIPLE VEHICLES. IN ALL, POLICE SAY THAT SINGLE PLATE NUMBER HAS BEEN CONNECTED 113 SUMMONSES, 48 COMPLAINTS, 11 9-1-1 CALLS AND 35 ARRESTS.
SECURITY ALSO A CONCERN. FOLLOWING THE ARREST OF A HUDSON COUNTY MAN ACCUSED OF SELLING FAKE NEW JERSEY PLATES, PROSECUTORS WARNED OF “CURRENT INVESTIGATIONS OF DRUG-TRAFFICKERS, TERRORISTS, GANG MEMBERS AND ORGANIZED THEFT RINGS
HAVE REVEALED AN INCREASED USE OF THESE TEMPORARY TAGS”
STEFENELLI SOT 2
16:48:59 The question you have to ask yourself is, why do they have a temporary place, what are they hiding?
HIDING BEHIND FAKE PLATES, AS A LICENSE TO STEAL. JD, NBC NEWS 4 ))
CCNY Televison Journalism 