Somaya Elkaramany
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Criminal Justice announced today that a bus company and its owner have been charged in connection with the accumulation of $290,000 in unpaid tolls.
Somaya Elkaramany, 57, of Bayonne, New Jersey, was charged by indictment, with five counts of theft of services (Count One, 2nd degree; Counts Two through Five, 3rd degree). Her company, Best Big Bus LLC, is charged with Counts One, Two, and Five.
“The defendant and her company are charged with racking up nearly $300,000 in unpaid tolls for thousands of trips back and forth between New Jersey and New York,” said Attorney General Platkin. “The tolls we all pay go to maintain the vital bridges, tunnels, and roads that our state depends on. We will not tolerate anyone who tries to cheat the system.”
“No one enjoys paying tolls, but our transportation system relies on them for the revenue needed to maintain it,” said DCJ Director Theresa L. Hilton. “The indictment alleges that this defendant used the system for her business but failed to pay her fair share – something we all must do.”
According to documents filed in this case, Elkaramany owned and operated vehicles registered to herself and Best Big Bus LLC. From October 1, 2020, to September 25, 2025, she and her company incurred approximately $290,000 in unpaid tolls owed to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Best Big Bus is a registered New Jersey corporation which operates a transportation service between Hudson County and New York City. The investigation revealed Elkaramany is a registered agent and member/manager of Best Big Bus, as well as a driver of the entity’s vehicles.
The total unpaid toll amount was incurred separately by three New Jersey license plates registered to Best Big Bus, and two New Jersey license plates registered to Elkaramany. The investigation revealed that:
- a New Jersey license plate registered to Best Big Bus incurred $143,835 of unpaid tolls because of 3,526 citation violations between September 7, 2022, and October 26, 2024;
- a New Jersey license plate registered to Best Big Bus incurred $60,069 of unpaid tolls because of 1,542 citation violations between October 1, 2020, and October 21, 2021;
- a New Jersey license plate registered to Elkaramany incurred $19,482 of unpaid tolls because of 469 citation violations between December 20, 2021, and October 30, 2024;
- a New Jersey license plate registered to Elkaramany incurred $4,776 of unpaid tolls because of 131 citation violations between October 5, 2021, and January 17, 2022; and
- a New Jersey license plate registered to Best Big Bus incurred $65,719 of unpaid tolls because of 1,360 citation violations between November 21, 2024, and September 25, 2025.
The charges resulted from a joint investigation between the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department.
The prosecution is being handled by DCJ Deputy Attorney General Christopher Scerbo.
Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000.
Third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.
Charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
