HARRISBURG, Pa. — Two men have been charged in connection to a scheme to defraud the Pennsylvania Turnpike of one million dollars in tolls.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Duvany Zambrano, 43, from Hamilton, New Jersey and Sergio Jara, 37, from Allentown, were indicted on Jan. 4 by a federal grand jury for defrauding the Pa. Turnpike Commission.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that beginning in 2018, Zambrano, Jara and others began acquiring thousands of E-Z Pass transponders from retailers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
They then registered the passes using false personal information and false credit card information.
The transponders were then sold to truckers in the New Jersey area who traveled on the Pennsylvania Turnpike hauling materials.
In doing so, the indictment alleges that Zambrano, Jara and others avoided paying approximately $1 million in tolls.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release following jail time and a fine.
The indictment was unsealed following Zambrano and Jara's initial appearances. They are currently scheduled for trial on March 4, 2023, before U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner.
