The Office of Staten Island Borough President
11/14/2025 | Press release | Archived content
'This Is Not A Victimless Crime': Justice Secured For Victims Of License Plate Fraud
Borough President Vito Fossella, the office of District Attorney Michael McMahon, and the NYPD worked together in securing justice for a Staten Islander who was the victim of license plate fraud.
Janine Mule reached out to Borough President Fossella and District Attorney McMahon when a motorist used duct tape to replicate her father's license plate. In the ensuing months, thousands of dollars of unpaid tolls were accrued and wrongly charged to her 91-year-old father and led to the booting of his car. The fines have since been dismissed.
"Numerous summonses were issued and ultimately the plates were turned in in January," said Borough President Fossella during a press conference in Borough Hall. "And then in February of this year, tickets started coming in -- tickets for tolls, speeding tickets, red light cameras and ultimately the car was booted in the summer."
Borough President Fossella called it a "nightmare for her family."
"She reached out for help because you can imagine how you would feel if you were driving a car knowing full well that the tickets you were receiving across the board were accumulating and you had nothing to do with it," he said. "This is not a victimless crime. Think of all the stress and pressure this family went through because of some dirtbag who went out and just kept racking up these tickets."
Ms. Mule said she tried several avenues for help but kept getting turned away. She received immediate assistance when she contacted Billy Beale, the director of Emergency Management, Public Safety & Veterans Affairs, at Borough Hall. She was then directed to District Attorney McMahon who worked with the NYPD on the case.
"I could at least stop thinking about this because to know that this is happening and you're not doing it and tickets are coming over and over again, penalties are coming, it's very frightening," she said.
James Clinton, the press secretary for District Attorney McMahon, said his office has "an open and active investigation and there is a suspect in the matter."
"We're hopeful there will be a resolution and accountability for that individual, but mostly we're grateful that our victim in this case had been made whole and her personal liability and that of her father has been resolved," he said.
Janine Mule reached out to Borough President Fossella and District Attorney McMahon when a motorist used duct tape to replicate her father's license plate. In the ensuing months, thousands of dollars of unpaid tolls were accrued and wrongly charged to her 91-year-old father and led to the booting of his car. The fines have since been dismissed.
"Numerous summonses were issued and ultimately the plates were turned in in January," said Borough President Fossella during a press conference in Borough Hall. "And then in February of this year, tickets started coming in -- tickets for tolls, speeding tickets, red light cameras and ultimately the car was booted in the summer."
Borough President Fossella called it a "nightmare for her family."
"She reached out for help because you can imagine how you would feel if you were driving a car knowing full well that the tickets you were receiving across the board were accumulating and you had nothing to do with it," he said. "This is not a victimless crime. Think of all the stress and pressure this family went through because of some dirtbag who went out and just kept racking up these tickets."
Ms. Mule said she tried several avenues for help but kept getting turned away. She received immediate assistance when she contacted Billy Beale, the director of Emergency Management, Public Safety & Veterans Affairs, at Borough Hall. She was then directed to District Attorney McMahon who worked with the NYPD on the case.
"I could at least stop thinking about this because to know that this is happening and you're not doing it and tickets are coming over and over again, penalties are coming, it's very frightening," she said.
James Clinton, the press secretary for District Attorney McMahon, said his office has "an open and active investigation and there is a suspect in the matter."
"We're hopeful there will be a resolution and accountability for that individual, but mostly we're grateful that our victim in this case had been made whole and her personal liability and that of her father has been resolved," he said.
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