DOI ARRESTS CITY SANITATION WORKER ON CHARGES OF IGNORING TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS AND FINES INCURRED FROM MISUSING NEW YORK STATE LICENSE PLATES HE TOOK FROM THE TRASH

  Margaret Garnett, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), announced today the arrest of a City Department of Sanitation (“DSNY”) worker on charges of taking New York State license plates from the trash, affixing them to his car and accumulating more than $17,000 in parking or traffic violations and in unpaid E-ZPass tolls and fees. The license plates in question were found on the defendant’s car parked outside the Brooklyn District garage where he worked. The Office of Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez is prosecuting the case. DOI initiated its investigation after receiving a complaint from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.

 JASON RIVERA, 45, of Staten Island, N.Y., is charged with Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony, and Obstructing Governmental Administration in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor. Upon conviction, a class D felony is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year’s incarceration

 DOI Commissioner Margaret Garnett said, “Misusing New York State license plates, ignoring traffic and parking violations, and failing to pay tolls are crimes that will result in arrest and prosecution. These kinds of crimes undermine the government’s ability to do its job and maintain a standard of safety on the roads. These offenses are particularly egregious when committed by a City employee who used his job as a means to commit the crime, according to the charges. I thank our law enforcement partners who worked this investigation with DOI, specifically the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and the City Department of Finance.”

 According to the criminal complaint, RIVERA found the New York State license plates in 2016 and gave them to an unknown friend to use on a vehicle. In 2017, the plates were returned to the defendant, who affixed them to his car. While on the defendant’s car, City Department of Finance records showed that the license plates accumulated 72 parking or traffic violations, totaling $5,500; and E-Z Pass records showed $1,793.50 in unpaid tolls and $10,600 in unpaid fees. At the time of the violations and unpaid tolls, the license plates were not registered to the correct vehicle, or any vehicle for that matter, thereby thwarting the ability of the related agencies to properly collect these fines and fees.

 RIVERA has been employed by DSNY since August 2006 and is currently receiving an annual salary of approximately $77,300

 Commissioner Garnett thanked the Office of the Brooklyn District Attorney, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, and the City Department of Finance for their assistance on this investigation, and the City Department of Sanitation for its cooperation.

 A criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.