Longform
Polk Award Winners: Jesse Coburn
Apr 16, 2024
Investigative reporter Jesse Coburn discusses the black market for temporary license plates, exposing how individuals exploit them to evade tolls and engage in criminal activities. The podcast explores the financial losses on tolling agencies, the lack of regulation in states like Georgia and New Jersey, and investigative reporting on car-related crimes.
34:18
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Quick takeaways
- Investigative reporter Jesse Coburn uncovered a massive black market for fake temporary license plates, revealing a regulatory blind spot.
- Scammers exploited lax regulations in states like Georgia and New Jersey to print and sell illegal temporary tags, causing significant financial losses.
Deep dives
Investigating Fake Temporary License Plates
A series of podcasts explore the underworld of fake temporary license plates and the massive black market surrounding them. During the COVID-19 pandemic, scammers took advantage of the system by printing and selling temporary tags illegally, resulting in drivers avoiding tolls, parking fines, and even using them for more serious crimes. An intricate story unfolded, revealing a regulatory blind spot that allowed the fraudulent circulation of thousands of tags, with state authorities unaware or unable to control the widespread fraud.
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