YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA — A traffic stop on the Pennsylvania Turnpike last summer has led to 72 charges being filed against two men accused of evading tolls on approximately 70 trips over the course of nearly a year, costing the turnpike more than $16,000 in lost revenue.

On June 23, 2026, Pennsylvania authorities charged Ashon Harris, 23, of Allegheny County, and Shawn Harris, 46, of Cambria County, each with one count of theft of services, one count of corrupt organizations, and 70 counts of fare evasion.

The Traffic Stop

The case traces back to a traffic stop on I-83 near mile marker 242 in York County on July 15, 2025. A Pennsylvania State Police trooper stopped a Freightliner truck tractor with trailer driven by Ashon Harris after spotting a piece of paper taped to the rear plate of the trailer, partially obscuring the license plate and blocking automatic license plate readers from identifying the vehicle.

During the stop, no registration was displayed on the truck. The vehicle was inspected at a nearby weigh station where 21 violations were found. The trooper also noted that Ashon Harris was on the phone with his supervisor — Shawn Harris — throughout the inspection.

Investigators also learned that Ashon Harris had been involved in a crash earlier in July 2025 with the same truck and had been cited for fare evasion at that time due to an obscured license plate. He claimed to have an E-ZPass device in the truck during that incident but was unable to produce one.

The Scope of the Evasion

By reviewing license plate reader data, investigators determined the truck made approximately 70 trips on the Pennsylvania Turnpike between August 15, 2024, and July 15, 2025. The turnpike provided invoices for the unpaid tolls in April. E-ZPass accounts associated with Shawn Harris and the company showed no invoices for the truck or trailer involved. The total amount of tolls evaded was $16,097.74.

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