Dallas man with Houston ties sentenced to 93 months in federal prison for fake license plates

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – A Dallas man found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud has been sentenced to nearly eight years in a federal prison, according to U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

On November 29, 2023, Daniel Rocky Christine-Tani pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to buy and sell thousands of counterfeit Texas-issued temporary buyer's license plates for car sales. However, investigators say he did not sell any cars.

At the hearing, the court was told that Christine-Tani and others committed fraud on a large scale by creating and selling temporary Texas buyer's license plates under the guise of fictitious car dealerships without actually selling cars.

According to investigators, Christine-Tani and her co-conspirators used Gmail, Instagram and Facebook accounts to buy and sell the fraudulent state-issued buyer tags and cash in the proceeds from the illegal tag sales.

According to the US Attorney's Office, purchases were made from all parts of the USA.

He also admitted that he and his co-conspirators received and distributed fraud proceeds through electronic payment services such as Cash App and Zelle.

The 35-year-old was sentenced to 93 months in a federal prison, immediately followed by three years of probation. He must also pay $3,440,625 in restitution to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.

RELATED: Sugar Land man accused of selling 700,000 fake paper license plates through fake car dealership

Christine-Tani was taken into custody after the verdict was announced.

“The Attorney General's Office raised the alarm, which led to changes in Texas law that will make paper license plates a thing of the past starting next year,” Hamdani said in a press release. “Christine-Tani's behavior was part of an epidemic of counterfeit Texas paper license plates that threatened the safety of Texans and citizens across the United States.”

Douglas Williams, special agent in charge of the FBI in Houston, said the paper license plate system “allowed criminals to use fake Texas buyer's license plates to commit violent crimes such as drive-by shootings and armed robberies.”

Emmanuel Padilla Reyes, alias Christian Hernandez Bonilla or Noel Rivera, is still on the run in this case.

Authorities urge you to contact the FBI if you have any information related to this investigation by calling 1-800-call-FBI and submitting an online tip. Information leading to Reyes' arrest could result in a payment of up to $5,000.