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Category: Media Coverage

For Immediate Release:
For additional information please contact Tory Davis, Director of Communications & Community Relations at 813-635-5264

DMV wait times are often long. Are appointment resellers making them worse?

Tampa, FL — March 24, 2025

Portrait of Karissa WaddickKarissa Waddick

USA TODAY

Ticket resellers have come under fire for profiting off of sky-high prices for major concerts and sporting events. Now, in some parts of the country, officials are investigating whether third-party sellers are making money from free driver’s license appointments, too.

That’s right, it’s not just Eras Tour tickets. The tax collector’s office in Florida’s Miami-Dade County announced last week that it “uncovered a network of appointment” resellers booking hundreds of Department of Motor Vehicle appointments before turning them around to unsuspecting residents – for a fee.

And Florida officials trying to put a stop to the practice aren’t alone. State senators in Nevada have also issued warnings about platforms selling DMV slots to people who need to renew their drivers’ licenses, register their cars and obtain copies of important documents, such as birth certificates and marriage licenses.

Selling public appointments is legal in most places across the U.S., including Nevada and Miami-Dade County. But policymakers are beginning to crack down.

$45,000 for DMV slots

Nevada State Senator Fabian Doñate, a Democrat who represents the area around the Las Vegas Strip, recently introduced legislation to prohibit third-party sites from posting or selling restaurant reservations and public service appointments without consent from the organization that created the event.

Doñate said appointment reselling has made it difficult, and sometimes near impossible, for people in the major Nevada city to find available time slots to go to the DMV to receive essential services.

In an analysis conducted in February, his office found that resellers could be generating between $45,406 and $47,488 each year from rebooking DMV appointments, if one out of every 20 people who visited their site bought one.

“When reservations are booked and no one uses them, it makes it harder for everyone else to get appointments,” said Doñate. “These are things that should be free.” He expects his legislation to pass in the coming weeks and could be signed into law by mid-May.

But what about the warning from Florida officials? The Miami-Dade County Commission is also reviewing an ordinance that would criminalize the resale of DMV appointments. The law would make it illegal to sell or post public appointments without written consent from the tax collector’s office. Violators would face fines of up to $500 or 60 days in jail.

The ordinance passed unanimously on first reading last week and could be approved after its second reading on April 1.

Other communities and states have faced similar problems with resellers trying to make money off of people who need to secure appointments for some of their most important documents.

The Hillsborough County Tax Collectors office, which oversees the area around Tampa, Florida, changed its appointment scheduling system to enhance verification and only allow for one reservation per email address in 2023 after it found scammers were bulk booking driver’s license appointments.

And Colorado’s Attorney General’s Office launched an investigation in 2016 after it found people were booking and reselling DMV appointments for between $50 and $1,000 to undocumented immigrants who the state had allowed to apply for drivers’ licenses.

Real ID deadline approaches

These latest appointment reselling scams come as people across the country scramble to renew their drivers’ licenses before Real ID requirements take effect on May 7.

By the deadline, all U.S. citizens and permanent residents over age 18 will need to have a government-issued ID with a star in the upper right-hand corner to travel domestically. The symbol shows the ID meets the “minimum-security standards” set by the Real ID Act of 2005.

DMV locations from North Carolina to Nevada have experienced long wait times and appointment back-ups in the lead-up to the deadline, which has been pushed back several times over the years. The original deadline was slated for 2008 but state compliance issues and the COVID-19 pandemic delayed implementation.

For Immediate Release:
For additional information please contact Tory Davis, Director of Communications & Community Relations at 813-635-5264

In Miami, Scalpers Had the Hot Tickets … to Driver’s License Appointments

Tampa, FL — March 20, 2025

The tax collector’s office in Miami-Dade County, Fla., said it uncovered scalpers using the free online-appointment system to book slots and resell them for $25 to $250.

By Johnny Diaz

Reporting from Miami

March 20, 2025

Scalpers have been known to buy and resell hot tickets for big-name music acts or sporting events, like Taylor Swift concerts and the Super Bowl. In Florida, some were using the same tactics for a less glamorous pass: a driver’s license appointment in Miami-Dade County.

The county tax collector’s office announced on Monday that it had “uncovered a network of appointment scalpers” benefiting from access to motor vehicles offices by “hoarding free appointments and reselling them for a profit.”

“We know who they are and how they operate,” Dariel Fernandez, the Miami-Dade tax collector, said in a statement. “We will not accept any appointment obtained through system abuse.”

The scalpers found so far have not been punished, because the practice was not illegal, but there is already an effort to change that and make it a civil offense.

As for the questionable appointments, a statement from the tax collector’s office on Thursday said that it was “trying to cancel all appointments that have been flagged from a potential scalper but it is a complicated process.”

The practice has not been limited to Miami-Dade County. In 2023, the Hillsborough County tax collector’s office in Tampa, Fla., announced changes to its operations after discovering that scammers had booked appointments for driver’s licenses and then tried to resell the time slots to the public.

The suspicious activity in Miami-Dade was discovered this year after the tax collector’s office began to take the processing of driver’s licenses from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, as had been approved under a constitutional amendment. During the transition, new software and security protocols were adopted in at least two locations in Miami.

The software uncovered data revealing that at least 200 appointments had been booked through scalpers, which led the office to further investigate. The scalpers booked the appointments by using bots and fake accounts, and then resold the appointments for $25 to $250, the office said.

The investigation is continuing, but the tax collector’s office said that local driving schools had been involved in taking some appointment slots.

There are nine driver’s license offices in Miami-Dade County that serve nearly three million residents seeking new driver’s licenses, renewals or identification cards.

Residents have been forced to book their appointments online weeks or months away, only to stand in lines that often wind out the office doors when they arrive.

That was the scene on Thursday afternoon at one driver’s license office in a bustling shopping plaza in northwest Miami, where people stood outside waiting for their names to be called.

One of them was Esmeralda Miranda, 19, who had booked an online appointment for her driver’s license exam in January.

“I don’t think it’s right for them” to hoard the appointments, she said, adding “because everyone can, like book the appointment for themselves. I feel like it’s wrong for them to do that.”

Standing a few spots away from her, Alain Garcia and his wife, Katherine Moran, agreed.

“It’s not right,” said Mr. Garcia, who was accompanying his wife as she waited to take her exam. They had also booked her appointment online, in January.

“Tired, too much waiting,” he said restlessly after waiting more than an hour. Others waiting in line spilled out to another sidewalk in the parking lot, where they stood under the sweltering sun. Yet some others sat in their air-conditioned cars, parked just outside the office.

Ms. Moran blamed the area’s large population for the rise of the scalpers.

“It’s too much volume, too many people,” she said.

The practice of buying and reselling the appointments is not in itself illegal, according to the tax collector’s office, which added that it would work with county officials and law enforcement “to put an end” to it.

Commissioner Kevin Cabrera of Miami-Dade County has introduced legislation that would make the sale of public service appointments, such as those for driver’s licenses, a civil offense punishable by a fine of $500 per violation. The ordinance will be presented to the Board of County Commissioners on April 1.

Read the full article here.

For Immediate Release:
For additional information please contact Tory Davis, Director of Communications & Community Relations at 813-635-5264

Arrest Made in Title-Washing Ring in Central Florida

Tampa, FL — February 9, 2025

By Staff February 9, 2025
A man was arrested for running a title-washing ring in Central Florida following an almost year-long investigation.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Auto Theft Unit began the investigation in March 2024, when deputies responded to the Plant City Tax Collector’s Office after 46-year-old Essa Cham attempted to use a fraudulent South Carolina title to retitle a 2022 Mercedes GLE 350 in Florida.

The investigation led detectives to 40-year-old Ahmed Njie, who was re-vining vehicles in order to fraudulently retitle the vehicles in Florida. In addition to Cham, detectives identified two other co-defendants helping Njie, 45-year-old Czedesia Simon and 42-year-old Seynabou Sall.

On June 2, 2024, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a driver in a Range Rover, which was a vehicle of interest in the investigation and suspected of being re-vined. The driver used a false name, but deputies later determined it was Njie. Njie was arrested and charged with False Name to Law Enforcement Officer and Driving While License Canceled, Suspended, or Revoked. The Range Rover was then inspected, and detectives located multiple fraudulent VIN stickers on the Range Rover. The vehicle was reported stolen on June 18, 2022, by the Lake City Police Department.

Detectives have evidence to suggest Njie has been in possession of seven vehicles. The vehicles included two Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Genesis, Jeep, Dodge, and a Range Rover. Five of these vehicles have been re-vined. Three of these vehicles were reported stolen. One of these vehicles was fraudulently titled in the state of Florida using a fraudulent identity.

Njie was out on bond when he was arrested.

Njie was charged with RICO Violation, RICO Conspiracy or Endeavor, Unlawful Use of Two Way Communication Device, Grand Theft Motor Vehicle (X3), Forged Motor Vehicle or Mobile Home Title, Sell or Possess Vehicle with Altered Numbers (X6), and Knowingly Use Altered or Forged Title (X3).

“The diligent work of our detectives has led to the dismantling of this fraudulent operation,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Let this arrest send a message that criminal schemes will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.”

This is an active investigation, according to local law enforcement.

Read the full article here.

For Immediate Release:
For additional information please contact Tory Davis, Director of Communications & Community Relations at 813-635-5264

Title-washing ring dismantled in Florida after year-long investigation

Tampa, FL — February 6, 2025

By Taylor Daugherty

TAMPA, Florida — A man has been arrested for operating a title-washing ring following an extensive investigation by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The probe began in March 2024 when deputies responded to a fraudulent title attempt at the Plant City Tax Collector’s Office.

Essa Cham, a 46-year-old, attempted to use a fake South Carolina title to retitle a 2022 Mercedes GLE 350 in Florida, leading detectives to Ahmed Njie, a 40-year-old involved in re-vining vehicles for fraudulent retitling, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Alongside Cham, two other accomplices, Czedesia Simon, 45, and Seynabou Sall, 42, were identified as part of the operation.

On June 2, 2024, deputies stopped a Range Rover, a vehicle of interest in the investigation, and arrested Njie, who initially provided a false name. The Range Rover, reported stolen on June 18, 2022, by the Lake City Police Department, contained multiple fraudulent VIN stickers. Detectives have linked Njie to seven vehicles, including two Mercedes-Benz, a Toyota, Genesis, Jeep, Dodge, and the Range Rover, with five re-vined and three reported stolen.

Njie, out on bond, was arrested again on January 28, 2025, and faces multiple charges, including RICO Violation, RICO Conspiracy or Endeavor, and Grand Theft Motor Vehicle, among others.

“The diligent work of our detectives has led to the dismantling of this fraudulent operation,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Let this arrest send a message that criminal schemes will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.”

The investigation remains active, with updates to be provided by the Public Affairs Office.

Read the full article here.

For Immediate Release:
For additional information please contact Tory Davis, Director of Communications & Community Relations at 813-635-5264

FRAUDULENT TITLE ATTEMPT IN PLANT CITY LEADS TO ARRESTS

Tampa, FL — February 4, 2025

By Observer Staff

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) arrested a man for running a title-washing ring following an almost year-long investigation.

HCSO’s Auto Theft Unit began the investigation in March 2024, when deputies responded to the Plant City Tax Collector’s Office after Essa Cham, 46, attempted to use a fraudulent South Carolina title to retitle a 2022 Mercedes GLE 350 in Florida.

The investigation led detectives to Ahmed Njie, 40, who was re-vining vehicles in order to fraudulently retitle the vehicles in Florida. In addition to Cham, detectives identified two other co-defendants helping Njie, Czedsia Simon, 45, and Seynabou Sall, 42.

In June 2024, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a driver in a Range Rover, which was a vehicle of interest in the investigation and suspected of being re-vined. The driver used a false name, but deputies later determined it was Njie. Njie was arrested and charged with false name to law enforcement Officer and driving while license canceled, suspended, or revoked. The Range Rover was then inspected, and detectives located multiple fraudulent VIN stickers on the Range Rover. The vehicle was reported stolen on June 18, 2022, by the Lake City Police Department.

Detectives have evidence to suggest Njie has been in possession of seven vehicles. The vehicles included two Mercedes-Benz, a Toyota, a Genesis, a Jeep, a Dodge, and a Range Rover. Five of these vehicles have been re-vined. Three of these vehicles were reported stolen. One of these vehicles was fraudulently titled in the state of Florida using a fraudulent identity.

Njie was out on bond when he was arrested on January 28, 2025. Njie has been charged with:

  • RICO Violation
  • RICO Conspiracy or Endeavor
  • Unlawful Use of Two Way Communication Device
  • Grand Theft Motor Vehicle (X3)
  • Forged Motor Vehicle or Mobile Home Title
  • Sell or Possess Vehicle with Altered Numbers (X6)
  • Knowingly Use Altered or Forged Title (X3)

“The diligent work of our detectives has led to the dismantling of this fraudulent operation,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said. “Let this arrest send a message that criminal schemes will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.”

Read the full article here.

For Immediate Release:
For additional information please contact Tory Davis, Director of Communications & Community Relations at 813-635-5264

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Busts Title-Washing Ring, Arrests Suspect After Year-Long Investigation

Tampa, FL — February 3, 2025

Liz Shultz – Local BN February 3, 2025

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) has arrested a man accused of running a sophisticated title-washing ring following an extensive, nearly year-long investigation. The operation, led by the HCSO Auto Theft Unit, uncovered a scheme involving fraudulent vehicle titles, stolen cars, and altered vehicle identification numbers (VINs).

The investigation began in March 2024 when deputies responded to the Plant City Tax Collector’s Office after Essa Cham, 46, attempted to use a fraudulent South Carolina title to retitle a 2022 Mercedes GLE 350 in Florida.

This incident prompted detectives to dig deeper, ultimately leading them to Ahmed Njie, 40, the alleged mastermind behind the operation.

Njie, along with co-defendants Czedsia Simon, 45, and Seynabou Sall, 42, is accused of “re-vining” vehicles—replacing legitimate VINs with fraudulent ones—to fraudulently retitle stolen or otherwise illegally obtained vehicles in Florida.

On June 2, 2024, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a Range Rover, a vehicle of interest in the investigation. The driver initially provided a false name but was later identified as Njie. He was arrested and charged with providing a false name to law enforcement and driving with a canceled, suspended, or revoked license.

Upon inspecting the Range Rover, detectives discovered multiple fraudulent VIN stickers. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle had been reported stolen by the Lake City Police Department on June 18, 2022.

Detectives uncovered evidence suggesting Njie had been in possession of at least seven vehicles, including two Mercedes-Benz models, a Toyota, a Genesis, a Jeep, a Dodge, and the Range Rover. Five of these vehicles had been re-vined, and three were reported stolen. One vehicle was fraudulently titled in Florida using a fake identity.

Njie, who was out on bond at the time, was arrested again on January 28, 2025, and now faces a slew of charges, including:

RICO Violation
RICO Conspiracy or Endeavor
Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
Grand Theft Motor Vehicle (three counts)
Forged Motor Vehicle or Mobile Home Title
Sell or Possess Vehicle with Altered Numbers (six counts)
Knowingly Use Altered or Forged Title (three counts)

Sheriff Chad Chronister commended the detectives for their diligent work in dismantling the fraudulent operation.

“The diligent work of our detectives has led to the dismantling of this fraudulent operation,” Chronister said. “Let this arrest send a message that criminal schemes will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.”

The investigation remains active.

Read the full article here.

For Immediate Release:
For additional information please contact Tory Davis, Director of Communications & Community Relations at 813-635-5264

Man accused of running ‘title-washing ring’ to retitle stolen cars in Florida

Tampa, FL —

by: 

Posted: 

Updated: 

PLANT CITY, Fla. (WFLA) — An almost year-long investigation has led to the arrest of a man who Hillsborough County deputies said was running a “title-washing ring.”

Authorities believe Ahmed Njie, 40, was at the head of a scheme where he would alter the vehicle identification numbers (VINs) on stolen vehicles in order to fraudulently retitle the cars in Florida.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said an investigation was launched after another suspect, Essa Cham, 46, tried to use a fraudulent South Carolina title to retitle a 2022 Mercedes GLE 350 at the Plant City Tax Collector’s Office in March 2024.

The investigation eventually led them to Njie, who was pulled over for a traffic stop about two months later on June 2. At the time, Njie was driving a Range Rover that was suspected of being altered.

Deputies said Njie gave them a fake name, but they later determined it was him. He was arrested for providing a false name to law enforcement officers and driving with a suspended license.

The Range Rover was then inspected, revealing multiple fraudulent VIN stickers, the sheriff’s office said. They also learned that the Range Rover had been reported stolen from Lake City in June 2022.

Further investigation produced evidence suggesting Njie had been in possession of seven different vehicles — five of which had altered VINs and three that were reported stolen. One was fraudulently titled in Florida using a fake identity, deputies said.

Investigators said Njie was out on bond when he was re-arrested on Jan. 28, 2025. He now faces the following charges:

  • RICO Violation
  • RICO Conspiracy or Endeavor
  • Unlawful Use of Two Way Communication Device
  • Grand Theft Motor Vehicle (X3)
  • Forged Motor Vehicle or Mobile Home Title
  • Sell or Possess Vehicle with Altered Numbers (X6)
  • Knowingly Use Altered or Forged Title (X3)

The sheriff’s office also identified two other co-defendants who were allegedly helping Njie: Czedsia Simon, 45, and Seynabou Sall, 42.

“The diligent work of our detectives has led to the dismantling of this fraudulent operation,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Let this arrest send a message that criminal schemes will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.”

Read the full article here.

For Immediate Release:
For additional information please contact Tory Davis, Director of Communications & Community Relations at 813-635-5264

Arrest Made in Title-Washing Ring

Tampa, FL —

For Immediate Release : Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office
February 3, 2025 Public Affairs Office | [email protected] (813) 247-8060

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man for running a title-washing ring following an almost year-long investigation.

Our Auto Theft Unit began the investigation in March 2024, when deputies responded to the Plant City Tax Collector’s Office after Essa Cham, 46, attempted to use a fraudulent South Carolina title to retitle a 2022 Mercedes GLE 350 in Florida.

The investigation led detectives to Ahmed Njie, 40, who was re-vining vehicles in order to fraudulently retitle the vehicles in Florida. In addition to Cham, detectives identified two other co-defendants helping Njie, Czedesia Simon, 45, and Seynabou Sall, 42.

On June 2, 2024, deputies conducted a traffic stop on a driver in a Range Rover, which was a vehicle of interest in the investigation and suspected of being re-vined. The driver used a false name, but deputies later determined it was Njie. Njie was arrested and charged with False Name to Law Enforcement Officer and Driving While License Canceled, Suspended, or Revoked. The Range Rover was then inspected, and detectives located multiple fraudulent VIN stickers on the Range Rover. The vehicle was reported stolen on June 18, 2022, by the Lake City Police Department.

Detectives have evidence to suggest Njie has been in possession of seven vehicles. The vehicles included two Mercedes-Benz’, Toyota, Genesis, Jeep, Dodge, and a Range Rover. Five of these vehicles have been re-vined. Three of these vehicles were reported stolen. One of these vehicles was fraudulently titled in the state of Florida using a fraudulent identity.

Njie was out on bond when he was arrested on January 28, 2025.

Njie has been charged with:

RICO Violation
RICO Conspiracy or Endeavor
Unlawful Use of Two Way Communication Device
Grand Theft Motor Vehicle (X3)
Forged Motor Vehicle or Mobile Home Title
Sell or Possess Vehicle with Altered Numbers (X6)
Knowingly Use Altered or Forged Title (X3)

“The diligent work of our detectives has led to the dismantling of this fraudulent operation,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Let this arrest send a message that criminal schemes will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted.”

This is an active investigation; any update will come from the Public Affairs Office.

Read the full article here.

For Immediate Release:
For additional information please contact Tory Davis, Director of Communications & Community Relations at 813-635-5264

New Fleet Program Simplifies Vehicle Registration Renewal Process 

Tampa, FL — January 31, 2025

The Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office has launched an innovative Fleet Program designed to meet the needs of customers managing 25 or more vehicles by streamlining the registration renewal process. The user-friendly online resource provides step-by-step guidance to efficiently renew registrations and even clear outstanding toll violations, without having to take a trip to the tax collector’s office. Customers can explore the new Fleet Program by visiting www.hillstax.org/title-tag/registration/fleet-program the site offers all the information and tools needed to get started.

Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office Serves Over 1 Million Customers In 2024 

The Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office proudly announced a significant achievement: serving over 1 million customers in 2024. This milestone reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to exceptional service, efficiency and community engagement.

“Our team’s dedication to serving the residents of Hillsborough County is truly remarkable,” said Nancy Millan, Hillsborough County tax collector. “Reaching this milestone is a testament to our hard work and commitment to providing innovative, accessible and efficient services to our community.”

Read the full article here.