A Texas man was sentenced to 93 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain and sell hundreds of thousands of Texas-issued paper license plates. Daniel Rocky Christine-Tani, 35, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge after working with others to register fake used car dealerships and request temporary buyer tags from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. The group then sold the tags online without actually selling cars, leading to the tags being used by criminals to conceal their identities while committing violent crimes.
Court documents revealed that the group obtained over 700,000 temporary tags from the state of Texas over several years. This scheme allowed criminals to use fake Texas buyer tags while perpetrating violent crimes like drive-by shootings and armed robberies, according to Douglas Williams, FBI Houston special agent in charge. The FBI worked alongside law enforcement partners to dismantle the conspiracy, which endangered many American lives.
In addition to his 93-month sentence, Christine-Tani must serve three years of supervised release and pay $3.4 million in restitution to the TxDMV. His attorney, Christian Capitaine, declined to comment on the case. The case was tried in federal court in Houston, with Christine-Tani residing in Dallas but formerly living in Houston. Another defendant, Leidy Areli Hernandez Lopez, received a 30-month prison sentence and two years of supervised release, along with $316,000 in restitution. Octavian Ocasio was sentenced to 53 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $324,000 in restitution.
A fourth conspirator, Emmanuel Padilla Reyes, remains a fugitive. Also known as Christian Hernandez Bonilla or Noel Rivera, the FBI is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. Information can be submitted by calling 1-800-call-FBI or by emailing from the website TIPS.FBI.GOV.
The case highlights the dangers of fraudulent activities involving temporary license tags and the impact they can have on public safety. It also underscores the importance of collaboration between law enforcement agencies to combat such schemes effectively. The sentences handed down to the defendants serve as a warning to others who may consider engaging in similar criminal activities.