California prosecutes 20 for DMV scheme that put hundreds of ‘unqualified commercial drivers on the nation’s highways’

This week, prosecutors in California announced the successful prosecution of Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) workers, trucking school owners, and affiliates who were allegedly involved in a scheme to provide commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) to unqualified candidates.

On Monday, November 14, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced the successful prosecution of 20 people in the Eastern District of California for their role in a series of DMV corruption cases.

The charges issued to the 20 defendants include bribery of public officials, identity fraud, unauthorized access of computers, and conspiracies to commit those offenses, authorities said.

“Defendants helped put unqualified commercial drivers on the nation’s highways operating large commercial vehicles even though those drivers had not passed the necessary written and driving tests. DMV employees accepted bribes to enter fraudulent test scores for applicants who had not even taken the tests or who could not pass them. Various trucking schools in California looked for corrupt DMV employees they could bribe to help failing or unqualified students get their commercial licenses anyway. In total, hundreds of fraudulent commercial driver license permits and licenses were issued as a part of these schemes, jeopardizing public safety,” Talbert’s office said.

See the table below for more information on the defendants.

The investigation was assisted by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Office of Internal Affairs; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General.