FHP: Driver Uses Remote-Controlled Cover To Hide License Plate At Tolls
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APOPKA (CBSMiami) -- In an effort to avoid paying the less than $2 tolls along Florida highways, an Apopka man could be facing a rather pricey punishment.
Florida Highway Patrol arrested Joshua Concepcion-West, 27, on Wednesday after a trooper noticed his license plate become covered while out on the road, an arrest report said.
The trooper happened to be driving behind Concepcion-West when he saw a black screen cover come down over the his license plate just before the car went through the toll plaza.
After crossing the toll, the cover raised.
Authorities said they had never seen anything quite like it before and demonstrated how it worked.
Like something out of a James Bond movie, the key chain device, resembling a typical car alarm control, moved a black screen up and down over the license plate with a simple push of a button.
But the little invention could be as costly as it is clever.
"So for a $1.25 toll, he now has a felony charge," said a FHP spokeswoman. "And we want to let people know it's not worth it. Pay the toll or don't use the road."
Concepcion-West was charged with Petit Theft and Cheating or Gross Fraud.
Officials are unsure of how many times he allegedly passed through the toll with the hidden plate.
