Teen Toll Collector Stole $16k in Less Than a Year

(via JayTye2010's flickr)

Travis Coley, 19, thought he had it made. Last year the Bronx native got a gig working as a toll collector on the Throgs Neck Bridge and allegedly started swiping change almost immediately. As he put it in a confession: “I figured out this scheme from my training and my experience in the toll booth,” and “when I realized that I would not get caught doing it, I continued to do it for months.” Except he did get caught, and now he is facing up to seven years in prison for stealing roughly $16,000 in tolls.

Coley's trick was about as basic as they get. When a truck would come to pay its toll Coley would charge the correct amount (trucks are charged by axel) and give out handwritten receipts if they were asked for. Then he'd record a smaller amount into the books and pocket the difference. He started the scam about a month after starting the job and hit up over 100 cars a day. “It was a stupid thing to do and I regret doing it and I don’t have the money to pay it back” he said in his confession.

He was eventually caught when an audit found videotape discrepancies between what he was recording and reality. Despite his confession (“It was a stupid thing to do and I regret doing it and I don’t have the money to pay it back.”) Coley pled not guilty to charges of felony grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, falsifying business records, and a misdemeanor charge for official misconduct. He is expected back in court in March.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Garth Johnston in News on January 6, 2011 4:49 PM

Comments [rss]

robingee

Raise the Verrazano Bridge toll to $25!!

smorrebrod

Replace toll booths with EZ-Pass and the sending of bills to households through the capturing of license plates.

justthinkin

I grew up with a guy who spent 5 years in juvi prison on multiple rape charges. What job did the state give him after his term was up? Toll collector.

robingee

He could play all the arcade games he wanted. Nice.

MaddingtonBear

Tractors are charged by salchow.

Jesse James Payette-Steinberg

He stole peanuts compared to elected officials.

Caffiend

See that right there. That is the problem with the criminal justice system. How can someone confess to a crime, only to plea not guilty in hopes of further pleading it down!? Really!? Situations like this should be treated just as black and white as they are. You commit crime, you admit guilt to it, you get in trouble. Not you commit crime, you admit to it, you act cute, and a jury of your "peers" considers giving you a wrist slap.

Big_Al72

I've responded to a similar question/concern about the criminal justice system before on here. I am a lawyer, though not an experienced criminal lawyer, so don't take this as the gospel truth (but I'm pretty sure I'm right.)

As a general rule, the government is required to prove every element of a crime in order to convict someone of a crime. Elements of a crime include things like whether the defendant had the mental state required to commit the crime as it is defined by the penal law.

Even if someone commits a criminal act, they are not necessarily acting with the necessary criminal intent to commit the crime. For example, if you come across your lover with another man/woman and kill both of them in the heat of passion, that's murder, but it's probably not first degree murder; rather it's probably second degree murder or maybe even voluntary manslaugher which carry a lesser sentences. The government would have to prove that your killing of them was premeditated in order to convict you of first degree murder.

This is why criminals almost always plead not guilty at their arraignments even when it's obvious that they are guilty of crimes. Also, it leaves open the option for negotiating a favorable plea bargain, since the prosecutors will generally be willing to bargain in the interests of the efficiency of the criminal justice system, (since trials are very expensive), and since they realize they might not be able to prove every element of the crime's that the defendant is initially charged with.

unretrofiedforu

A.k.a. - this is why the 'system' is slow and expensive.

Sorry, it's the truth.

diablofreak

thats why you should quit while you're ahead

or, if you're going to be a criminal, go for some crazy ass Ocean 11 crime, don't be a petty thief and steal an ipod or a playstation or taking from toll booths.