Credit: PA Internet News Service
Bucks County’s first prosecutions for Pennsylvania Turnpike toll scofflaws are moving forward.
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday that four motorists who collectively owe more than $315,000 in unpaid Turnpike tolls and fees will head to trial after all four waived their right to a preliminary hearing. The four are charged with felony theft of services charges.
Jarrett L. Stiff, 36, of Warminster, is accused of owing $127,967.40, the sum of $37,572.40 in unpaid tolls and $90,395 in administrative fees; Kelly M. Robinson, 32, of Lansdale in Montgomery County, owes $66,553.43, about half in unpaid tolls and half in administrative fees; Christina M. Heller, 52, of Hatboro in Montgomery County, is charged with arrears of $60,634.40, including $28,114.40 in unpaid tolls and $32,520 in fees; and Ayelet D. Farage, 47, of Elkins Park in Montgomery County, has a debt of $60,569.65, including $27,829.65 in tolls and $32,730 in violation fees, according to authorities.
Prosecutors are going after the most “egregious offenders” who are “habitual scofflaws,” they said in a press release.
The crackdown comes as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission steps up efforts to catch up to those who avoid paying tolls that have piled up.
PennLive.com reported earlier this year that a Turnpike spokesperson said the criminal complaints are filed against owners of vehicles who have piled up tolls and fees that exceed $2,000.
Prosecutors said thefts worth more than $2,000 are felonies of the third degree, which are punishable by up to seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
The affidavits filed against the four being prosecuted in Bucks County said the charges came after numerous attempts to set up payment plans with the defendants.
Two of the three Turnpike interchanges with the highest violation rates in Pennsylvania – Neshaminy and Bensalem – are in Bucks County.
Following an amnesty program last year, 10,000 motorists still owed more than $17 million in tolls and fees. A majority of the money owed to the Turnpike came from residents in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.
Last year, state lawmakers passed a bill that will allow for the suspension of vehicle registration of any Pennsylvania motorist who has any outstanding tolls and fees totaling $500 or more or if a driver has six or more separate instances of violation.
“Most Pennsylvania Turnpike travelers pay their toll bills and violations on time, but a few extreme scofflaws are ignoring hundreds of mailed notices and simply refusing to pay what’s owed,” said Ray Morrow, a retired FBI agent now serving as the Turnpike’s chief compliance officer. “We have partnered with prosecutors across our toll-road system to pursue theft-of-services charges and recover unpaid tolls from chronic violators.
“We are grateful for the Bucks County DA’s efforts to help us pursue the very worst toll evaders,” said Morrow, who worked with Bucks County Detective Timothy Perkins on the local investigation.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
