{"id":4163,"date":"2026-05-07T14:34:34","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T18:34:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/nycpolitics\/ghost-cars-crackdown-brooklyn-fake-plate-scheme-busted\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T14:34:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T18:34:34","slug":"ghost-cars-crackdown-brooklyn-fake-plate-scheme-busted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/nycpolitics\/ghost-cars-crackdown-brooklyn-fake-plate-scheme-busted\/","title":{"rendered":"Ghost Cars Crackdown: Brooklyn Fake Plate Scheme Busted"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Brooklyn\u2019s latest headline-grabber involves a sprawling counterfeit license plate scheme\u2014one that\u2019s sparked a renewed focus on \u201cghost cars\u201d zipping undetected through city streets. Prosecutors say this operation wasn\u2019t small potatoes, and now, after pleading guilty, the man behind the scam has learned his fate.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a sign of the times: state officials are sounding the alarm about fake temp tags, noting a surge as drivers look for ways to slip past tolls, cameras, and the DMV\u2019s watchful eye.<\/p>\n<p>News of the sentencing surfaced in a <a href='https:\/\/nycnewswire.com\/news\/brooklyn-man-sentenced-fake-plate-scheme'>press release on NYC Newswire<\/a>, with the case put together by Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of law enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>From Instagram to Inbox: How the Scam Worked<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The mastermind, Tyheem Evans, age 28, reportedly ran the whole show via Instagram\u2014offering up custom fake license plates to clients in New York and across the country.<\/p>\n<p>Investigators say that in just over a year, more than 50 bogus temp plates changed hands, each sold for as much as $210, with the promise of nationwide legitimacy.<\/p>\n<p>DOI Commissioner Nadia I. Shihata summed it up: &#8220;The defendant pleaded guilty and was sentenced today for using social media to advertise and sell forged temporary license plates for a fee to more than four dozen customers.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Evans ended up with a conditional discharge and community service after admitting guilt in Kings County Criminal Court.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Why \u201cGhost Cars\u201d Are Raising Eyebrows<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This case highlights a much larger headache for city officials: vehicles known as \u201cghost cars.&#8221; Through fake plates, these cars can slip through all sorts of detection\u2014leaving no trail for tolls, tickets, or crash investigations.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a loophole that makes it tough to know if a car is even registered or insured, causing major headaches for agencies tasked with keeping roads safe.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We will find you and you will be held responsible for your actions,&#8221; warned DMV Acting Commissioner Christian Jackstadt, tipping the agency\u2019s hat to all involved in cracking the scheme.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Instagram Scam: How Customers Got Their Plates<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Evans ran an account named @DMVTemps, posting offers for 30-, 60-, and 90-day fraudulent plates. Interested? You\u2019d send over your car\u2019s details through DM and pay online\u2014then a PDF with your new (illegal) plate would arrive soon after. Check out more on the official page <a href='https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/newyorkstateag\/posts\/were-announcing-the-arrest-and-guilty-plea-of-tyheem-evans-a-brooklyn-resident-w\/1519710789521032\/'>here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The plot stretched across the country\u2014California, Texas, Georgia, and New Jersey among its reach\u2014running from spring 2022 until last September.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Legal Response Packs a Punch<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>According to Attorney General Letitia James, this isn\u2019t a one-off\u2014New York is stepping up its fight against vehicle-related fraud that puts honest drivers and road safety at risk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTyheem Evans defrauded drivers and the DMV with a petty scheme to line his own pockets while making our roads less safe,\u201d <a href='https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Letitia_James'>James<\/a> said, underscoring the dangers of sidestepping official DMV procedures.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Coordinated Crackdown on Plate Fraud<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This bust was the result of teamwork between the Attorney General\u2019s office, the <a href='https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/nycpolitics'>NYC Department of Investigation<\/a>, and the State DMV\u2014demonstrating how vital collaboration is in today\u2019s high-tech fraud landscape.<\/p>\n<p>With so many scams migrating online, these agencies are doubling down to stomp them out before they grow even bigger and further undercut trust in public systems.<\/p>\n<p>The crackdown sends a message: toll avoidance, insurance cheats, and faked registrations won\u2019t go unchecked.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Moving Forward: What to Expect<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Officials have made it clear: this isn\u2019t the last you\u2019ll hear of enforcement against fake plates and digital fraud. They\u2019re ramping up surveillance of web-based sellers and sharpening their tools for future \u201cghost car\u201d investigations.<\/p>\n<p>This Brooklyn investigation is setting the blueprint for future cases\u2014and the original press release has more details, for those curious.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Quick Answers for Curious Readers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>What is a \u201cghost car\u201d?<\/strong> It\u2019s a ride using bogus or hard-to-track plates, so it can skirt tolling and law enforcement systems unnoticed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How was the scam actually run?<\/strong> Instagram was the marketplace; details and payments were exchanged online, with the fakes delivered digitally to buyers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What sentence did Evans get?<\/strong> The <a href='https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/brooklynbuzz\/'>Brooklyn<\/a> man received a conditional discharge and 100 hours of community service.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Stay Plugged In<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Want updates on city politics, housing news, and more? Get it all sent right to your inbox by joining our mailing list.<\/p>\n<p>Sign up for our <a href='https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/newsletter\/'>newsletter<\/a> and never miss a major NYC development or policy update.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brooklyn\u2019s latest headline-grabber involves a sprawling counterfeit license plate scheme\u2014one that\u2019s sparked a renewed focus on \u201cghost cars\u201d zipping undetected through city streets. Prosecutors say this operation wasn\u2019t small potatoes, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5907,"featured_media":4164,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,3,65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4163","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-district-attorney","category-local-nyc-politics","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.4 (Yoast SEO v26.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Ghost Cars Crackdown: Brooklyn Fake Plate Scheme Busted - NYC Political News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nycnewsnetwork.com\/nycpolitics\/ghost-cars-crackdown-brooklyn-fake-plate-scheme-busted\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ghost Cars Crackdown: Brooklyn Fake Plate Scheme Busted\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Brooklyn\u2019s latest headline-grabber involves a sprawling counterfeit license plate scheme\u2014one that\u2019s sparked a renewed focus on \u201cghost cars\u201d zipping undetected through city streets. 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