Men scammed Pennsylvania Turnpike out of $1 million in tolls, feds say

Two men were part of a scheme that scammed the Pennsylvania Turnpike out of about $1 million in tolls, according to federal authorities.

Sergio Jara, 37, of Allentown, and Duvany Zambrano, 43, of Hamilton, New Jersey, were recently indicted on charges connected to defrauding the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, according to a Jan. 13 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

From February 2019 to about April 2020, authorities said Jara, Zambrano and others got E-ZPass transponders from New Jersey and Pennsylvania retailers.

They registered those E-ZPass transponders with fake names, addresses and credit card information, according to the indictment filed in court on Jan. 4.

Drivers who use E-ZPass transponders when traveling through toll points are charged automatically through their linked account.

But with fake credit card information linked to the E-ZPass transponders, authorities said the men used them to travel on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

The defense attorneys representing Jara and Zambrano did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on Jan. 13.

Jara, Zambrano and others also sold the fraudulent transponders to truck drivers who used them to travel on the toll roads, according to the indictment.

About $1 million in tolls were evaded through the scheme, officials said.

The two men are scheduled for trial on March 4, according to the release. They face up to 20 years in prison, supervised release and a fine if convicted of the charges.

A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission said “we do not typically comment on ongoing legal matters.”

This story was originally published January 13, 2023 at 11:59 AM with the headline "Men scammed Pennsylvania Turnpike out of $1 million in tolls, feds say."