Trucker allegedly used fishing line to flip license plate at tolls, avoided tickets

FORT LEE, N.J. -- Port Authority police arrested a truck driver Wednesday who they say used fishing line to thwart the E-ZPass toll on the George Washington Bridge.

The incident happened around 7:15 p.m., when authorities say an officer saw the suspect driving a white 2006 Freightliner tractor trailer with no front plate and the rear plate bent up to defeat the security cameras.

The E-ZPass sign alerted that the suspect did not pay the toll.

After pulling over the driver, 41-year-old Javier Marte, of Yonkers, the officer reportedly found that the front plate was rigged on a hinge with monofilament fishing line that ran into the cab and ended on the dash.

Authorities say Marte used the fishing line to pull the plate up out of view and conceal it from the cameras, and then restore the plate into view after exiting the toll.

Marte is charged with theft of services and tampering with public records.