Police: Forged License Plates Lead to Felony Arrest

A set of unidentified license plates landed a Connecticut man in hot water earlier this week after Harrison Police determined they may have been forged.

Police stopped 38-year-old Elias Valdez of Stamford, CT, for a traffic violation along Westchester Ave. at about 5:25 p.m. on June 6. After noticing a temporary dealer license plate on Valdez's vehicle, the officer at the scene asked for a license, registration and proof of sale for the vehicle.

When Valdez explained he didn't have a driver's license, police used his Guatemalan passport to track his driving record. According to police, Valdez had a suspended license for failure to answer a summons.

But things got worse for Valdez when police searched the temporary plates through the Greenwich Police Department. According to police, the plate numbers weren't on file anywhere, indicating Connecticut had no record of them existing.

Police arrested Valdez and charged him with criminal possession of a forged instrument, a felony, as well as traffic violations. Police say they then received a call from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, who placed a retainer on Valdez.

Police transported Valdez to Westchester County Jail where he was held.