UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Union County law enforcement processed over 200 criminal charges during a 24-hour fake tag crackdown last week, investigators announced Tuesday.
The 24-hour crackdown involved officers from various agencies in Union County. The officers processed 225 criminal charges during the operation, including multiple DWIs, felony drug charges and dozens of DMV violations.
The Union County Sheriff's Office released the following charges from the operation:
- Driving while impaired: 2
- No driver's license: 24
- No car insurance: 18
- Driving with a revoked license: 12
- Vehicle registration violations: 42
- Felony drug offenses: 4
- Concealed carry violations: 2
- Forged license plates: 23
Union County deputies have seized over 1,000 forged or fictitious license plates since January 2023, primarily in the Indian Trail area.
"Seizing over 1,100 forged license plates is no small feat and has required a great deal of training, hard work and dedication from our personnel," Sheriff Eddie Cathey said. "Drivers charged during this operation often tell our deputies that they were warned to stay out of Union County by their criminal associates and express regret for not heeding that advice."
Deputies say drivers who display fake license plates often do so to avoid buying car insurance and registering their vehicles with the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV). Some of these suspects also use fictitious plates because their driver's licenses have been revoked due to DWIs and other charges. Drivers who are involved in crashes with uninsured drivers often see increased rates due to their insurance company covering the cost of medical bills and vehicle repairs.
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