Police: Man Tampered With Government Documents

An Indiana man was charged with tampering with government records after said he allegedly gave officers an altered document of ownership for 1987 Chevy Caprice he was driving before it was impounded on Saturday.

According to police, Said Ali El-Khatib, 25, of Fort Wayne, Ind., was stopped during a routine license plate check on Route 23 North Saturday shortly before 1 a.m. During the license plate check, police said they discovered that El-Khatib’s license plate was not on file with the Indiana Motor Vehicle Commission.

When asked to provide credentials, police said El-Khatib was unable to produce a valid insurance card, proof of vehicle ownership and insurance card.

Police then searched the vehicle and found El-Khatib to allegedly be in possession of three municipal government license plates, although police said none of them belonged to the vehicle he was driving. Police also discovered El-Khatib’s driver’s license was suspended.

He was issued summonses for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, operating an unregistered motor vehicle, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, failure to inspect the motor vehicle and operating with fictitious license plates and his vehicle was impounded.

El-Khatib went to retrieve his vehicle on Monday from the impound yard, at which point police said he gave Det. Colleen Pascale and Capt. Ciro Chimento what appeared to be a title of ownership for the vehicle. Police then investigated the title and found there to be several discrepancies with it, leading police to believe that it had been altered. Police said El-Khatib was unable to explain the alleged discrepancies.

El-Khatib was ultimately charged with tampering with government records and arrested. His bail was set at $2,500 with no 10 percent option. He was unable to post bail, police said, and was sent to the Morris County Correctional Facility.