A Bayonne police officer used four different ways to avoid the Bayonne Bridge toll 81 times dating back to last summer, the criminal complaint in the matter says.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Jeffrey Veloz, 27, a three-year veteran of the police department, was charged with one count of fourth-degree grand larceny for a value of property greater than $1,000 and 81 counts of petit larceny, the complaint provided by the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office says.
The review by the Port Authority Police Department’s Office of the Inspector General included a review of Veloz’s phone records, police records, and photographs.
Between June 16th, 2021 and September 20th, 2021, Veloz is accused of using “a dark plate diffuser” on his 2020 white Dodge Ram to evade paying the Bayonne Bridge toll 14 times.
Then, between October 3rd, 2021 and March 14th 2022, his same vehicle allegedly did not have a license plate to avoid paying the same toll 25 times.
Continuing into this month, the officer utilized “a mechanical plate curtain device” while driving his white Dodge Ram over the Bayonne Bridge, leaving the toll unpaid 38 times between March 15th and August 4th.
Finally, Veloz allegedly drove his Suzuki motorcycle over the Bayonne Bridge without a license plate to avoid the toll four times: on May 25th, May 26th, June 24th, and July 20th.
The Port Authority initially deferred requests for comment to the NYPD and then the Richmond County DA’s Office, the latter of which was unable to provide the complaint until after Veloz was arraigned earlier today.
Additionally, Bayonne Police Capt. Eric Amato, citing an internal investigation, deferred comment to the Port Authority, who did not reply to several subsequent requests for comment.
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