Fairfax County Police warn public of proper vehicle registration procedures – Fairfaxtimes.com
Fake Texas tags still prevalent despite law enforcement efforts
Despite the February arrest of a Woodbridge resident by Fairfax County Police and indictments for three additional people by the U.S. Department of Justice, fraudulent Texas tags are still being seen on cars around Fairfax County.
Detectives from the FCPD Organized Crime and Intelligence Bureau were notified of the illegal sale of the Texas temporary tags late last year, according to 2nd Lt. James Curry, a FCPD spokesman. Latino Solutions, Inc., formerly of Annandale was fraudulently distributing the temporary license plates. After a lengthy and complex investigation, Karla Lopez of Woodbridge was arrested and charged with two counts of operating as a vehicle dealer without a license and two counts of computer fraud. Lopez is due back in court October 26.
Since then, FCPD has also arrested Brenda Lizeth Garcia DeMendoza, 24 of Arizona, and Ronald Ernesto Gamez Mendez, 42, of Lorton September 21. Both were charged with one count each of conspiracy to forge public record, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and operate as an auto dealer without proper license.
In May, the U.S. Department of Justice was also searching for two men indicted for using fictitious car dealerships to issue nearly 600,000 paper tags and selling them on the internet without selling any cars, according to a DOJ news release. At that time, they already had one Houston resident in custody. The charges allege the illegal tags pose a danger to the public and law enforcement because purchases use them to avoid obtaining registration, safety inspections and liability insurance.
Curry said that although arrests occurred from the original investigation, FCPD still sees temporary tags through the county. It’s not an issue isolated to Fairfax County, he explained. “We want to inform community members that this is illegal,” said Curry. “We want to educate the community that these Texas temporary tags are not legal and that if you wish to get your car registered, you must go through a dealership or the DMV. Individuals pretending to represent themselves as dealers online can be fraudulently leaving drivers on the hook for additional costs and possibly face charges.”
Fairfax County Police want vehicle owners to be aware of vehicle registration laws which can be found on the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles website, or by clicking https://bit.ly/3dpRjfC. Detectives also want to ensure that business owners are aware of Virginia Code Section 46.2-1508, https://bit.ly/3qDUh4g, which does not allow businesses to operate as a dealer without a proper license.
A spokesperson with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles emailed a response to questions and said they could not discuss details of open investigations. “However, TxDMV recognizes the impacts of fraudulent use of temporary tags and is continually analyzing opportunities to work with our partners to put stronger safeguards in place to prevent misuse,” said Adam Shaivitz, interim director of the Government and Strategic Communications Division, TxDMV. “In collaboration with law enforcement, motor vehicle dealers and other stakeholders, Texas has made numerous security enhancements to dealer tags and other timed permits.”
Shaivitz said that in 2020 TxDMV invited members of law enforcement, the public and motor vehicle dealer representatives to serve on a Consumer Protection Advisory Committee. The committee studied the issue and made recommendations to the TxDMV Board. During the following legislative session, the Texas legislature enacted House Bill 3927 which included authority for expedited denial of access to the temporary tag database and establishing maximum tag limits, he said. “The department has met twice to seek advice on the implementation of HB 3927 with the Motor Vehicle Industry Regulation Advisory Committee.”
Virginia DMV officials were unable to respond by deadline for this article.
“Our detectives continue to investigate those who are illegally distributing the fraudulent license places both online and through other means,” said Curry. “If you have information about the illegal distribution of these plates, please contact our officers or submit a tip through Crime Solvers.”
Anyone with information about these illegal license plates being distributed is asked to make a report to police by calling the non-emergency number at 703-691-2131. In some instances, it may be legal to possess this, therefore, it is not necessary to call the non-emergency number if you see cars with the Texas temporary registration.
