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Austin man fighting tolls, fines after stolen license plates register on toll road cameras

Sheng Jiang believes his license plates were stolen sometime in December. Now he faces 13 unpaid tolls and late fees, owing Mobility Authority more than $70.

AUSTIN, Texas — In February, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) sent Sheng Jiang a Pay By Mail form in regards to 13 unpaid tolls and late fees from the end of December and beginning of January. Sheng said he doesn't use toll roads. He doesn't have a TxTAG either.

He said he doesn't use his 2003 Chevy Malibu often. He works from home and walks to the grocery store. He might use it 10 times a year, most recently to replace his license plates.

Police pulled over Sheng on New Year's Day for driving without license plates. That's when he found out they were missing. That same day, Sheng filed a police report with Austin police.

"A month later, I got this bill saying I have dozens of toll charges, all the way to Jan. 2, which is the day after I placed the police report," Sheng said.

The bill came from CTRMA charging him $71.29 for unpaid tolls, plus late fees for not paying them on time. In the police report on APD's website, it does not say the plates were stolen – the proof Sheng needs to get the charges reversed.

Credit: Austin Police
Austin Police posted this report in regards to the stolen license plates from Sheng Jiang's car.

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"I called the police department but I can’t really get a hold of the detective assigned to my case," Sheng said. "I called almost three days ago and haven’t been called back."

KVUE reached out to APD on Saturday afternoon, but did not hear back.

An image from CTRMA cameras on one of the toll roads shows the car that has Sheng's stolen plate. But the image is too dark to see the make or model of the vehicle. Sheng believes it's clear the vehicle pictured is not his. He replaced the stolen plates a week or two after filing the police report. 

Based on the locations listed in the CTRMA Pay By Mail bill, Sheng believes the thief is still around.

"It’s happening around Austin," Sheng said. "I don’t have the activities or transactions from before Christmas Day. There are a lot of transactions happening along 183 and 51st Street."

Sheng already contacted CTRMA about the charges.

"Their response is they need [a police report]," Sheng said. "They don’t have a process for stolen license plates on their website.”

KVUE reached out to CTRMA's communications team on Saturday evening. On its website, Mobility Authority has steps for drivers to take if their vehicle is stolen or if their TxTAG is stolen

According to Sheng, the DMV already suspended his original license plate.

"I never get on the toll roads so I’m not even aware of checking with the tolling," Sheng said. "What if the criminal ... drives their car with my plate to another state? Do I have to check another state?"

According to CTRMA's policy, Sheng may face criminal charges and increasingly higher fines the longer he waits to pay the tolls and late fees.

"I don’t know if I’m legally liable for that," Sheng said.

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