RYE, NY (September 26, 2025) — On September 25, 2025, officers from the City of Rye Police Department arrested 27-year-old Oscar Magallanes of College Point, NY, for operating a motor vehicle with a stolen license plate. The arrest took place after officers utilized license plate readers to identify a 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit operating with the stolen plate on Midland Ave as it entered I-287 Westbound.
A traffic stop was initiated, and the vehicle was stopped on the shoulder of I-287 West.
The license plate was reported stolen to the NYPD Property Crimes Unit on 9/4/2025. Officers arrested Magallanes for criminal possession of stolen property 5th Degree as well as Aggravated Unlicensed Operation 3rd Degree. The defendant was released on his own recognizance and is due back in Rye City Court on Tuesday, October 14, 2025 at 9:00 AM to answer the charges.
License plate thefts and related arrests have surged in New York amid efforts to combat toll evasion and vehicle fraud, often involving automated license plate readers and multi-agency operations. While specific cases in Westchester County like the recent Rye arrest are limited in public records, statewide incidents mirror the pattern of detecting stolen plates during traffic stops, leading to charges for possession of stolen property and unlicensed operation.
On April 29, 2025, at approximately 2:50 p.m., New York State Police on Interstate 684 in Westchester County pursued a stolen vehicle traveling northbound. The chase ended in a crash, resulting in an arrest. This incident highlights how stolen plates often tie into broader vehicle theft recoveries in the region, aided by license plate alerts.
On February 19, 2025, New York State Police in Watertown stopped a 2020 Mercedes Benz on Johnson Road in LeRay for appearing to have fraudulent license plates. The vehicle’s registration was suspended for insurance lapse, and plates were surrendered to the DMV. Operator Shanique S. Coley, 29, of Evans Mills, NY, was arrested for possession of a forged instrument (class D felony) and issued tickets for no license plate and suspended registration. Coley was arraigned in Watertown City Court and released on an appearance ticket for LeRay Court on February 26, 2025.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced results from three New York State Thruway operations in the Lower Hudson Valley and Western New York, seizing 140 vehicles and issuing 711 tickets focused on persistent toll violators using stolen, fake, or obscured plates. New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James noted that such plates jeopardize roadway safety. By mid-2025, 13 operations alone yielded 168 arrests, 650 towed vehicles, and 5,775 summonses, totaling $4.6 million in unpaid tolls.
Launched in March 2024, the NYC “Ghost Cars” Task Force, a multi-agency task force (including NYPD, MTA Police, and State Police) has conducted 73 operations, resulting in 902 arrests, 39,000 summonses, and 4,073 vehicle interdictions for fraudulent or stolen plates. In 2025, efforts expanded to Westchester and Nassau Counties.
Similar to the Rye case, detections often occur via license plate readers during patrols. One April 26, 2024, example: Troopers arrested Angel Florentino of Brooklyn on the Belt Parkway for operating a Chevrolet with a stolen Pennsylvania plate, noting child safety violations; another arrest that day involved Justin Wildman of Manhattan in a Chevrolet Suburban with a stolen Massachusetts plate.
Westchester County’s Real Time Crime (RTC) network, using 146 license plate reader cameras, captured 243 million plates in 2020 alone, contributing to over 200 arrests, including five for stolen plates, and 102 stolen vehicle recoveries. While 2025 specifics are emerging, the system continues to flag stolen plates in multi-agency probes for burglaries and larcenies.
These cases underscore New York’s push against plate fraud, with charges typically including criminal possession of stolen property (5th degree, a misdemeanor) and aggravated unlicensed operation, often resolved via court appearances on recognizance. Victims of theft must file MV-78B police reports to replace plates and avoid liability.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.