Charles Saldarriaga v. The City of New York, New York City Police Department, Sergeant William J. Planeta, Detective Eric Bolger, Detective Leonardo Moscoso, and Officer Mohammad F. Hossain

District Court, E.D. New York·Decided September 14, 2026·No. 1:25-cv-01115·Unknown

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK ----------------------------------------------------x CHARLES SALDARRIAGA, Plaintiff, v. MEMORANDUM AND ORDER 25-CV-1115 (RPK) (JRC) THE CITY OF NEW YORK, NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, SERGEANT WILLIAM J. PLANETA, DETECTIVE ERIC BOLGER, DETECTIVE LEONARDO MOSCOSO, and OFFICER MOHAMMAD F. HOSSAIN, Defendants. ----------------------------------------------------x RACHEL P. KOVNER, United States District Judge: Plaintiff Charles Saldarriaga, proceeding pro se, brings this 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action against the City of New York and four New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) officers principally alleging the officers unlawfully arrested him for possessing forged license plates. Defendants move to dismiss for failure to state a claim. For the reasons set forth below, the motion is granted. BACKGROUND The following facts are drawn from the amended complaint and from documents incorporated by reference in that complaint. They are assumed true for the purposes of this order. On March 27, 2024, plaintiff was driving a green vehicle bearing license plates that said “FOREV3R5.” Am. Compl. Ex. B. (Dkt. #35). NYPD Sergeant William J. Planeta observed what he suspected to be forged license plates on the vehicle and pulled plaintiff over near 28-31 Steinway Street in Queens, New York. Id. ¶¶ 23–24, Ex. B. During the traffic stop, Sergeant Planeta questioned plaintiff about his license plates. Id. Ex. B. Plaintiff stated that he purchased them from the Department of Motor Vehicles (“DMV”). Ibid. Sergeant Planeta nevertheless concluded that plaintiff’s plates were “forged” based on his “training in the detection and identification of forged instruments” and the physical appearance of

the plates. Ibid. Specifically, Sergeant Planeta observed that the plates had a black background, “whereas an authentic New York State license plate background would not be black”; that the plates had circular mounting holes, “whereas an authentic New York license plate would have oblong mounting holes”; and that the lettering on the plates was raised, “whereas the lettering on an authentic New York State license plate would be flat.” Ibid. If Sergeant Planeta had checked New York State’s online “eJusticeNY” portal, which plaintiff alleges on information and belief did not happen, Sergeant Planeta would have seen that the DMV previously issued plaintiff license plates that said “FOREV3R5.” Id. ¶ 30, 31, Ex. C. At some point during the traffic stop, NYPD Detective Leonardo Moscoso and NYPD Officer Mohammad F. Hossain arrived at the scene. Id. ¶ 27. In the presence of Detective Moscoso

and Officer Hossain, Sergeant Planeta ordered plaintiff to exit his car, handcuffed him, and directed that he be transported to the 114th NYPD Precinct. Id. ¶ 28. Sergeant Planeta then personally entered plaintiff’s car and drove it to the precinct, where it was damaged. Id. ¶¶ 33, 45. At the precinct, NYPD Detective Eric Bolger questioned plaintiff and prepared a complaint charging him under New York Penal Law § 170.20 with criminal possession of a forged instrument in the third degree. Id. ¶ 36, Ex. B. The complaint contained Detective Bolger’s sworn testimony as to what he was told by Sergeant Planeta. Id. Ex. B. Plaintiff was arraigned the next day. Id. ¶ 39. After the arraignment, plaintiff’s attorney contacted the District Attorney and provided her with “DMV confirmations” as to his license plates, which appear to have included (1) an email receipt from the DMV indicating that plaintiff previously purchased plates that said “FOREV3R5,” and (2) a registration statement from a DMV website indicating that plates that said “FOREV3R5” were associated with a vehicle registered by plaintiff—though with a white car rather than a green one. Id. ¶ 41, Ex. D. The charges were dismissed four months later on speedy-trial grounds. Id.

¶ 44, Ex. F. In this suit, plaintiff names the City of New York, Sergeant Planeta, Detectives Bolger and Moscoso, and Officer Hossain as defendants. Id. ¶¶ 7–22. The amended complaint asserts three causes of action against Sergeant Planeta and Detective Bolger: (1) false arrest, id. ¶¶ 48–55, (2) malicious prosecution, id. ¶¶ 56–62, and (3) fabrication of evidence, id. ¶¶ 63–67. It also asserts (4) unlawful seizure of plaintiff’s car against Sergeant Planeta alone, id. ¶¶ 68–72, and (5) failure to intervene against Detective Moscoso and Officer Hossain, id. ¶¶ 73–77. Finally, it asserts (6) Monell liability against the City of New York. Id. ¶¶ 78–82. All six causes of action are brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff seeks compensatory and punitive damages and costs. Defendants filed a motion to dismiss plaintiff’s initial complaint. Afterward, plaintiff filed

an amended complaint, and defendants filed a new motion to dismiss that complaint under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim. See Mem. in Supp. of Mot. to Dismiss (Dkt. #37); Reply in Supp. of Mot. to Dismiss (Dkt. #43). Plaintiff opposes the motion. See Mem. in Opp’n to Mot. to Dismiss (Dkt. #41). STANDARD OF REVIEW A complaint will survive a motion to dismiss only when it alleges “enough facts to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007). The court may consider only (1) the complaint itself, (2) documents either attached to the complaint or incorporated in it by reference, (3) documents the plaintiff relied on and knew of when bringing suit, and (4) matters in the public record that are subject to judicial notice. See, e.g., ATSI Commc’ns, Inc. v. Shaar Fund, Ltd., 493 F.3d 87, 98 (2d Cir. 2007); Sira v. Morton, 380 F.3d 57, 67 (2d Cir. 2004); Leonard F. v. Isr. Disc. Bank of N.Y., 199 F.3d 99, 107 (2d Cir. 1999). The court “accept[s] all factual allegations in the complaint as true and draw[s] all

reasonable inferences in favor of the plaintiff.” Olson v. Major League Baseball, 29 F.4th 59, 71 (2d Cir. 2022) (citation omitted). Here, plaintiff has attached certain documents to the complaint and relies on them in the complaint itself and in his brief opposing dismissal. Accordingly, in adjudicating the motion to dismiss, the Court considers both the statements in the complaint and the statements in the attached documents, insofar as the statements therein are not contradicted by the complaint. A pro se plaintiff’s complaint must be “liberally construed, and . . . however inartfully pleaded, must be held to less stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers.” Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94 (2007) (quotation marks and citations omitted). Pro se status, however, does not “exempt a party from compliance with relevant rules

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Charles Saldarriaga v. The City of New York, New York City Police Department, Sergeant William J. Planeta, Detective Eric Bolger, Detective Leonardo Moscoso, and Officer Mohammad F. Hossain, (E.D.N.Y. 2026).

Charles Saldarriaga v. The City of New York, New York City Police Department, Sergeant William J. Planeta, Detective Eric Bolger, Detective Leonardo Moscoso, and Officer Mohammad F. Hossain (Charles Saldarriaga v. The City of New York, New York City Police Department, Sergeant William J. Planeta, Detective Eric Bolger, Detective Leonardo Moscoso, and Officer Mohammad F. Hossain) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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