FAIRFIELD, NJ — A Belleville man was arrested after an automated license plate reader detected a stolen plate on his vehicle.
Paul Almeida, 49, of Belleville, was arrested May 27, 2026, and charged with receiving stolen property.
At approximately 7:59 a.m. that day, Fairfield police headquarters received an alert that a vehicle with a stolen license plate was traveling through town.
The license plate had been reported stolen March 16, 2026, in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Officer Frank Patierno located the vehicle on Route 46 West and conducted a motor vehicle stop with assistance from other officers.
Almeida, who was the driver and only occupant, allegedly told officers he had purchased the car several weeks earlier with the license plate on it and had not yet transferred it to his name.
Police later determined the previous owner had canceled the registration after selling the vehicle, and the license plate was reported stolen when it was not turned in to the DMV.
Almeida was transported to headquarters for processing, where he was charged with receiving stolen property.
He also received several motor vehicle summonses and was released pending an initial court date.
