Pennsylvania Driver Charged at GWB With Toll Evasion

A Pennsylvania driver was charged Monday in connection with allegedly attempting to evade tolls at the George Washington Bridge, Port Authority officials said.

Port Authority Police Officer Steve Pisciotta was stationed at the lower level toll plaza at about 12 p.m. Monday when he saw an SUV go through the E-ZPass lane with no front or rear license plates and a temporary tag affixed to the rear window of the vehicle, according to officials.

Pisciotta determined that the driver also has no E-ZPass transponder in the SUV.

“Officer Pisciotta stopped the vehicle and found that the temporary registration tag was forged and had an altered date on it,” said Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman. “The license plates for the vehicle were found in the trunk of the car.”

 The driver, Ezekiel A. Fleming, 53, of East Stroudsburg, PA, was charged with theft of services and tampering with a government document, Coleman said, adding that Fleming had no prior record of being a “violator at a Port Authority crossing.”

“But that may be due to the fact that he was operating an SUV without front or rear plates,” he said.

The arrest comes several days after a Florida truck driver was charged with toll evasion at the GWB after allegedly altering his license plates.

So far this year, Port Authority police have charged 66 people with toll evasion, according to Coleman.