A Manhattan software developer was arrested and charged with damaging the license plate covers on two SUVs belonging to a Secret Service detail assigned to Vice President Kamala Harris’ stepdaughter. The man, Harry Heymann, appeared to be a supporter of a small group of citizen activists who call attention to and sometimes personally modify obstructed license plates used by motorists to evade tolls and traffic enforcement in New York.
Heymann, 45, approached the unmarked vehicles outside a Tribeca restaurant and broke off their license plate covers on the back, according to a criminal complaint. The vehicles belonged to Secret Service agents assigned to protect the vice president’s stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, as she ate lunch at a nearby restaurant. Video obtained by TMZ showed Emhoff being ushered into a black SUV and a man being led away in handcuffs. Fortunately, no protectee was in danger as a result of this incident, according to a spokesperson for the Secret Service.
Heymann was charged with obstructing governmental administration and criminal mischief. He did not respond to a voicemail, and his attorney declined to comment on the matter. In New York, drivers often use illegal plate covers to avoid tolling systems and traffic cameras that rely on automated license plate readers.
In recent years, a small group of citizen activists have taken countermeasures to stop drivers from obscuring their license plates. Gersh Kuntzman, the editor of news site Streetsblog NYC, popularized the efforts in 2022 with a series of videos showing him personally “un-defacing” license plates. Kuntzman and his followers have used markers to redraw plate numbers, removed tape and stickers, fixed bent plates, or unscrewed coverings that render plates unreadable. Their repair efforts often focus on the private vehicles of law enforcement officers and court system personnel parked near police precincts and courthouses.
An X profile associated with Heymann showed dozens of posts about obscured license plates and illegally parked police vehicles in Manhattan. Kuntzman expressed a sense of responsibility for the incident and emphasized the importance of public officials following the law to ensure road safety. He stated that members of the public have a responsibility to play a role in keeping roadways safe, even if it means cleaning up state property that is required by law to be readable.
A spokesperson for the Secret Service did not respond to a question about why the two vehicles featured license plate covers. Kuntzman reiterated that while he believes in holding public officials accountable for breaking the law, he has never interfered with the Secret Service. The incident involving Heymann sheds light on the ongoing issue of obscured license plates and the actions taken by citizen activists to address this problem in New York City.