Doylestown

Taking A Toll: Four motorists are accused of owing the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission more than a quarter of a million dollars in unpaid tolls and fees have been hit with felony theft charges. They are being held over for trial as Bucks County prosecutors make an example of the quartet in the first prosecutorial crackdown on habitual toll-skippers who authorities say owe millions in toll violations.

Jarret Stiff, 36, of Warminster, Kelly Robinson, 32, of Lansdale, Christian Heller, 52, of Hatboro, and Avelet Farage, 47, of Elkins Park, have all been charged with theft of services. Any rip-job of more than $2,000 is considered a third-degree felony punishable by a maximum of seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine. Prosecutors said legislation that went into effect last August gives turnpike officials the power to ask Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials to suspend the motorists’ vehicle registration once they accrue six or more unpaid toll violations or collectively owe at least $500 in tolls and fees. Two of the state’s three municipalities with the highest violation rates were Neshaminy and Bensalem, which are both in Bucks County, officials said. More than 2,000 motorists took advantage of an amnesty program last year that allowed them to enter into payment agreements totaling $1.4 million in unpaid tolls and fines. Still another 10,000 motorists owe more than $17 million as of last summer, more than half are residents in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. The four motorists waived a preliminary hearing this week and are set to be arraigned next month. Stiff allegedly owes more than $127,000 in combined unpaid tolls and fees. He blew through turnpike interchanges 2,264 times without paying over a four-year period starting in 2013, authorities said. Officials sent more than 4,500 notices to try to collect the doozy of fines, according to an affidavit of probable cause. Going on down the list, Robinson owes $66,553 for avoiding 840 tolls and blowing off more than 1,600 notices to pay up, authorities said. Heller is behind $60,634 and was sent more than 1,600 notices. And Farage wracked up $60,569.65 after riding dirty through interchanges at least 822 times, authorities said. Prosecutors since last December have filed charges against 26 people for not paying tolls, nine of whom pleaded guilty.