Thirty traffic tickets from New York City have arrived at the mailbox of Council Bluffs resident Jason Spicoli since July, despite him never visiting the city. Local officials report a persistent multi-year mystery involving mismatched license plates and phantom automated camera violations reaching Iowa drivers.
Jason Spicoli stood by his mailbox in Council Bluffs, pulling out yet another piece of mail bearing a return address from the municipal government across the country. Since July, a total of 30 traffic violations have arrived at his home, charging him with infractions that sound entirely impossible for a resident of southwest Iowa.
“I was running red lights, I was going through school zones, doing like 70 in a 30 in a school zone in New York,” Spicoli said, describing the violations he has been accused of committing.
The ordeal, first reported by KETV, began after Spicoli sold his Jeep to a local dealership in Council Bluffs. Suddenly, automated camera enforcement notices and parking tickets from New York City began appearing in his daily postal delivery.
The Pottawattamie County Treasurer’s Office Intervenes
Facing a mounting stack of out-of-state paperwork, Spicoli brought his notices to Pottawattamie County Treasurer Lea Voss. What he discovered was that his case, while extreme, is far from an isolated glitch.
“It just keeps going on and on,” Voss said. “I think Jason’s is the most I’ve had — 30 of them; I’ve never had anybody have 30. I’ve had them have four, three. Never 30.”
Over the past few years, a growing stack of copies of New York City traffic violations has accumulated on Voss’ desk. Every single notice represents a real citation issued by New York City for offenses the Iowa residents named on the paperwork did not commit. Voss confirmed she knows the recipients are innocent because the license plate numbers involved were either turned in directly to her office or belong to entirely different vehicle makes and models than the cars captured on the camera violations.
The vast majority of these erroneous notices stem from automated traffic cameras and parking enforcement. “These are mostly camera ones that they’re getting the tickets on. Like they’re going through a certain area or a parking ticket,” Voss explained.
Chasing Answers Through Bureaucracy
Pinpointing the exact root cause of how Iowa license plates become tied to automated camera infractions in New York City remains a mystery. When the administrative errors first surfaced several years ago, Voss sent a formal letter to the Governor of New York seeking answers and intervention. That letter received no response.
Persistent follow-ups did eventually connect Voss with a representative inside the New York City Finance Department who attempted to assist her office. “I’ll do whatever I can, and I’ve tried to do everything I can,” Voss said.
For drivers facing collection notices over fines they never incurred, the financial and legal anxiety can be severe. However, Voss noted that the New York City Finance Department representative assured her that collection letters would not impact a driver’s credit score, nor would any warrants be issued for failing to pay the phantom tickets.
“The gentlemen in New York tells me nothing will ever happen,” Voss said.
To prevent registration confusion, Voss recommends that residents always surrender their Pottawattamie County license plates directly to her county office rather than leaving them on traded-in vehicles without proper filing.
Both Voss and Spicoli urge anyone experiencing similar phantom out-of-state tickets to reach out to the treasurer’s office immediately.
“You want to get this taken care of. And there’s steps you have to take, and that way you just fill out the paperwork and hopefully, Lea can get this all squared away,” Spicoli said.
KETV Investigates reached out to both the New York City Finance Department and the Office of the Governor of New York for comment, but neither agency responded prior to publication.
