In order to save toll costs, truck driver Shi used tin foil to wrap ETC equipment to block signals and maliciously evaded highway tolls. The cumulative amount was as high as more than 50,000 yuan. From October 2023 to February 2025, when Shi was driving a heavy-duty semi-trailer tractor for round-trip transportation, he listened to others and wrapped the ETC equipment in tinfoil, which caused the toll system to be unable to properly read the vehicle's complete traffic trajectory, and he passed the test with short-distance payment standards.
In just 16 months, he carried out toll evasion 36 times, with a total evasion fee of 51,288.84 yuan.
Through background data comparison, the expressway management department found that the car frequently experienced abnormal situations of "long-distance driving and short-distance payment", and immediately called the police. Shi was arrested by the police in the service area and brought to justice.
After arriving at the case, Shi confessed to the facts of his crime. He originally thought he was just taking advantage, but did not realize that it had constituted a criminal offence.
After the judge explained the law, Shi took the initiative to return the illegal gains in full, making up for the economic losses of the expressway operating unit, and obtained a written understanding. At the same time, he voluntarily signed a plea of guilty and a penalty to the Yuanyang County People's Court.
The court held that for the purpose of illegal possession, Shi defrauded highway tolls by blocking signals and concealing the true mileage. The amount was huge, and his behavior constituted the crime of fraud.
Based on his confession, guilty plea and punishment, full refund of stolen goods, and being a first-time offender, the court made a first-instance judgment in accordance with the law and sentenced Shi to three years in prison for fraud, suspended for five years, and fined RMB 50,000.
