Thelma & Louise? Out-Of-State Pair With Phony Plate, Stolen IDs, Disguises Nabbed By Oakland PD

Two out-of-state ID thieves with a cardboard license plate sped off from Oakland police down the wrong side of the road but were tracked down a short time later, authorities said.

Krista Luckenbill (top), Tanya Thomas
Photo Credit: *Boyd A. Loving (file photo) / MUGSHOTS*

Jerry DeMarco

10/19/2023 1:15 p.m.

Sgt. Michael Griffin spotted the pair in a 2023 Nissan Maxima entering an exit and pulling up to a drive-through window at a TD Bank on Ramapo Valley Road around 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, Capt. Timothy Keenan said.

The Maxima had tinted windows and an unreadable rear license plate apparently printed on a piece of cardboard, the captain said.

Seeing the police, the driver backed out of the drive-through and sped off on Long Hill Road, he said.

Griffin and Officer Charles Kelly followed the speeding sedan, which at times traveled in the oncoming lane and quickly vanished from view, Keenan said.

Detective Sgt. Steven Broek found the Maxima in the parking lot of the Oakland Care Center on Breakneck Road a short time later.

The cardboard license plate had been replaced by a legit-looking plate from Florida, the captain said.

The driver, Krista Luckenbill, 35, of Pennsylvania, stuffed a crack pipe into her shoe after she was ordered out of the vehicle, Keenan said.

She was arrested along with her passenger, Tanya Thomas, 54, of Cleveland, OH, who the captain said lied to the officers about herself.

In the Maxima police found multiple forms of ID from different states, along with stolen checks, pedigree information, and banking records, Keenan said. They also turned up heroin, cocaine, drug paraphernalia -- and wigs, the captain said.

The cardboard plate had been ripped up and tossed in the lot, he said.

Luckenbill was charged with DWI, ID theft, eluding, hindering, forgery, theft by deception, money laundering, credit card fraud, receiving stolen property, and possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia.

Thomas was charged with forgery, money laundering, credit card fraud, theft by deception, theft, and receiving stolen property.

Both remained held Thursday in the Bergen County Jail pending first appearances in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack.

Assisting with the investigation were Lt. Michael O’Neill and Officers Michael Catenacci and Karley Greulich.

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