Three plead guilty to bribery scheme that allowed more than 100 drivers to obtain an unearned CDL

Three people pleaded guilty this week to taking part in a major commercial driver’s license (CDL) fraud scheme in Louisiana.

On July 29, 2026, Mahmoud Alhattab, Jonathan Parsons, and Marline Roberts each pleaded guilty to one count of Bribery Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Eastern District of Louisiana.

The three defendants were among the six people who were indicted in connection with a CDL bribery scheme in August 2025.

“Alhattab admitted that from about August 2020 through February 2024 he caused at least 124 people to fraudulently receive CDLs. Parsons admitted that from about August 2020 through February 2024 he caused at least 118 people to fraudulently receive CDLs by providing each person with a false training entry, or a false skills test entry, or both types of false entries. Roberts admitted that on seven occasions in early 2023 she created false scoring sheets to assist Parsons in making false skills test reports,” officials said.

Restaurant owner Alhattab admitted to being the ringleader of a scheme in which drivers would pay approximately $5,000 in order to skip knowledge testing, entry-level driver training, and skills testing and obtain an unearned CDL.

Officials say that Alhattab bribed two employees of a Donaldsonville, Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) office as part of the scheme. The bribed OMV employees would enter correct knowledge test answers for applicants identified to them by Alhattab. Alhattab would then bring the applicant into the office, where a commercial learner’s permit (CLP) would be issued.

Alhattab also admitted that he bribed two men who operated a truck driver training businesses, including Parsons. Officials say that Parsons generated “false training records” for driver applicants to fulfill the entry-level driver training requirements..

Parsons admitted that he “reported in a federal database that applicants successfully completed training when, in truth, they did not train at all.” Parsons also admitted that he falsely reported that applicants had passed the skills test when, in truth, the applicants did not take the test.

Skills test examiner Roberts also admitted to fabricating score sheets to corroborate Parson’s false test reports.

“After a CDL applicant received false skills test scores, Alhattab would typically inform an OMV employee that the applicant was returning to the Donaldsonville OMV office to get the CDL. As part of his guilty plea, Alhattab acknowledged that many of the applicants were not proficient in the English language and, therefore, he sometimes advised the OMV employees of language barriers. For example, on one occasion, Alhattab texted an OMV employee that an applicant “is outside [the OMV office] to get his CDL” and “No English,” meaning that the applicant did not speak English,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

A charge of Bribery Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison.

Other defendants charged in this case are awaiting trial.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General.