Wow! Questions: if the plate did not match, no plates, no reg and this implied tampering with vehicle documentation, why the heck would they just be cited and let go rather than investigated for possible involvement in auto theft? Maybe it was thought they were covering up not having registered the vehicles or hx of unpaid tickets that would get them pulled over.
As to JTW: You saw the actual record, so your info. is better than mine. Let me confirm--JTW also cited for no plates? I read somewhere it was for "no front or rear tags." Maybe means the same thing.
Why does anyone drive a car with no license plates?