Published on Tuesday, November 7, 2006
in the WPLG News

Drivers Steal Money From Toll Baskets

KENDALL, Fla. -- When state troopers began cracking down on toll violators last month, they didn't expect to find drivers looting the toll baskets for change.

A man in his car should have been putting coins into the toll basket, but surveillance video instead shows him taking the money out.

"As they approach, they take the newspaper or the paper towel into the feeder, they shove it in there with a stick, and then they would come back later on … with a vacuum apparatus (like) a shop vac and suck the coins out," Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Roger Reyes said.

Lester Bruno is charged with theft. FHP troopers said he took money out of a busy turnpike toll plaza at Kendall Drive.

Surveillance video shows Bruno's car pulling up to the plaza as the man inside steals the coins. The name of the realty company for which he once worked -- Home Discovery -- is emblazoned on the side of the car. If that weren't enough, troopers said they caught him from the SunPass transponder attached to the window of his car.

"I think it's the stupidest crime I've ever heard," neighbor Alex Dobarganes said.

Local 10's Neki Mohan went to Bruno's $350,000 southwest Miami-Dade County house to try and speak with him about the allegations, but the person who answered the door said Bruno wasn't there.

At about the same time at the same toll plaza, 44-year-old Jay Erwin had a more sophisticated approach to attempt the same thing, troopers said. Erwin is accused of using a wet vacuum to clean out the coffers.

Erwin was unavailable for comment because he was behind bars. Troopers said he had been arrested for the same crime in the past.