4 Sold Fake Texas License Plates In Suffolk: District Attorney

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Four Long Islanders who sold fake temporary Texas license plates in Suffolk County have been arrested, Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy D. Sini said Thursday.

Omar A. Awan, 29, of Melville; Usman A. Awan, 22, of Melville; Julio A. Borges, Jr., 26, of Bellport; and William Dunphy, 19, of Glen Cove, were each charged with one count of second-degree criminal possession of a false instrument; a class D felony.

They each face two and a third to seven years in prison if convicted.

"Anyone who fell victim to this scam should be aware that these plates are not valid and you should take immediate steps to get your vehicle properly insured and registered," Sini said via news release. "This is a matter of both keeping our roads safe and protecting residents from paying into these scams. Our investigation is ongoing, and we encourage anyone who has information on the sale of these plates to please contact law enforcement."

The district attorney's office and Suffolk County Police Department in 2020 launched an investigation into the possession and sale of temporary Texas license plates following an increase of the tags on vehicles throughout the county, authorities said.

The four who were arrested had been obtaining and illegally selling the temporary Texas plates to local buyers, officials said. The sellers advertised the temporary tags on social media sites, including Craigslist and Facebook, and accepted payment from buyers via apps such as CashApp or in cash for in-person sales, prosecutors said.

Buyers would also provide the sellers with the vehicle identification number, make, model, and year of their vehicle in exchange for the temporary tag, which is valid for 60 days, officials said.

Undercover officers bought the fake plates from the four sellers between Nov. 19 and Dec. 8, 2020, in exchange for U.S. currency, authorities said. Each tag cost roughly $100 to $150, officials said.

The temporary license plates can be generated online by licensed automobile dealers in Texas through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles’ eTag website, prosecutors said. However, it is illegal for the temporary tags to be issued when not connected with a vehicle sale in Texas, as well as for the tags to be sold or transferred, authorities said.

Anyone with information on the scheme was urged by Sini to contact the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office’s Financial Investigations & Money Laundering Bureau by calling 631-853-4232 or by emailing InfoDA@suffolkcountyny.gov.

Dunphy was arraigned Wednesday and is being represented by the Legal Aid Society. He is due back in court March 18. Usman Awan and Omar Awan were arraigned Feb. 17 and are being represented by Michael Brown. They are due back in court on March 9. Borges was arraigned on Feb. 16 and is represented by Michael Elbert. He is due back in court on March 8. All defendants were released on their own recognizance following their arraignments.