Illinois trucker accused of toll evasion

VW independent staff/submitted information

BRYAN — An Illinois man was indicted on a grand theft charge in the Williams County Court of Common Pleas, following an investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

A grand jury indicted Moath Musamih, 39, Orland Park, Illinois, on April 21 after he failed to pay $21,991 in Ohio Turnpike tolls over a two-year period. While working in partnership with the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission to deter toll evasion, Musamih was determined to have been using the Ohio Turnpike while evading tolls from April, 2024 to April, 2026.

If convicted, Musamih could face a maximum of 18 months in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. The vehicle used in connection with the theft offense, a Freightliner Cascadia semitractor, could be subject to criminal forfeiture through the Williams County Prosecutor’s Office.

Musamih is set to have his initial appearance in the Williams County Court of Common Pleas on Monday, May 11

According to a press release, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commssion will continue to work together to improve overall safety along the 241-mile Ohio Turnpike, which traverses through 13 counties across northern Ohio and to address toll evasion or related offenses, including the use of fictitious license plates and plates that are obscured, covered or removed.

An indictment is only a charge. The defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.