St. Louis man accused of making fake temp tags

ST. LOUIS - A St. Louis man has been indicted for allegedly manufacturing and selling fake temporary vehicle tags for vehicles.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of Missouri said Mario Cooks, 34, is facing six counts of fraudulent transfer of an authentication feature.

Cooks was indicted on Wednesday, Dec. 14. He was arrested the following morning.

According to court documents, members of the U.S. Secret Service, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, St. Charles Police Department, and Missouri Department of Revenue issued a search warrant at Cooks' home and claimed to have seized computer equipment, counterfeit temporary vehicle documents, and counterfeit vehicle titles.

Police in St. Charles first learned Cooks had been selling fake temp tags, plates, and insurance documents that appeared to be from authorized dealers. An undercover officer claims to have bought several phony temp tags and insurance cards from Cooks.

If convicted, Cook faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on each charge.