Kelly Robinson, 32, of Lansdale.
A Lansdale woman is facing felony theft of services charges following a crackdown by officials from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
According to a release from the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, Kelly M. Robinson, 32, of Lansdale, has been charged with felony theft of service after allegedly owing the turnpike commission a total of $66,553.43 in unpaid tolls and administrative fees, with roughly 50 percent of the total coming from unpaid tolls and the remainder in fees. Robinson is accused of evading 840 individual tolls between December 2013 and September 2017, resulting in nearly 1,700 payment demand notices sent to her address.
Robinson, along with three other defendants, are the first prosecutions by the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office under the crackdown, and the four defendants combined for more than $350,000 in unpaid tolls and fees, the release states. Thefts of more than $2,000 are charged as third-degree felonies, and carry a punishment of up to seven years in prison, along with a $15,000 fine.
In addition to the felony theft of service charge, Robinson is also facing a lesser charge of driving while her license was suspended or revoked, the report states, adding that investigators found that she had incurred toll violations while her license was suspended.
Robinson waived her right to a preliminary hearing this afternoon before Magisterial District Judge Joseph P. Falcone, of Bensalem, and she is scheduled to be formally arraigned on Sept. 14 in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas.
(Editor's note: All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. The above statements reflect the point of view of the Bucks County District Attorney's Office, as indicated by attribution. Should the defendant choose to issue a public statement, or is later found not guilty or has the charges dropped, we will update this article accordingly.)
