Off-duty NYPD cop busted for driving with bogus license plate

An off-duty NYPD cop found himself behind bars this week after he was caught driving over the Outerbridge Crossing into Staten Island with a fake license plate to avoid paying the toll, cops said Saturday.

Between August 2021 and January, Joseph Marinoreplaced the state-issued license plate on his white Mercedes-Benz SUV with a fake New Jersey paper tag that is reserved newly bought cars at auto dealerships in order to avoid the $16 toll across the Outerbridge, police said.

The paper plate was expired. On two dates, Marino altered the tag to confuse the bridge’s computerized license plate readers further, an investigation revealed.

The ruse was uncovered on Jan. 18, when he parked his SUV with the fake plates still on it and a city tow truck was about to take the vehicle away.

Marino, who is assigned to the 122nd Precinct, ran up to the tow truck driver, popped the trunk and showed him his real plates, sparking an investigation, according to court documents.

Police arrested Marino on Thursday morning, charging him with multiple counts of possession of a forged instrument and petty larceny for not paying the tolls.

He was ordered released without bail at his arraignment and is due back in court on Oct. 4, a spokesman for the Richmond County District Attorney’s office said.

The arrest was part of the ongoing crackdown against motorists trying to fool license plate readers.

Since 2017, the MTA’s Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, with the help of the state police, have given out 36,000 summonses for obscured, blocked and forged license plates. They’ve also towed 6,200 vehicles of motorists with unpaid fines.

Last year, cops arrested 225 people on city streets and highways with fraudulent plates. Another 400 motorists were summonsed, the NYPD said.

Earlier this month, Mayor Adams announced that the NYPD and the city sheriff’s office will begin to tow and auction off cars caught with illegal, fake or paper license plates.