http://www.oig.dot.gov/rss.jsp?subject=40 The 10 most recent releases on the U.S. DoT OIG web site related to Motor Carrier Safety en-US webmaster@oig.dot.gov (OIG Webmaster) http://www.oig.dot.gov/images/dot.gif http://www.oig.dot.gov/rss.jsp?subject=40 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2553 On October 15, 2009, Charles D. Goodwin, Inc., (CDGI) doing business as Goodwins Trucking Company pled guilty in U.S. District Court, Winston Salem, North Carolina, to charges associated with the falsification of drivers duty status logs, which are regulated by FMCSA. CDGI is to be sentenced in May 2010.The investigation was initiated as a result of an FMCSA compliance review of CDGI following a fatal accident involving one of its drivers. The review revealed that the driver violated FMCSA hours of service regulations but was not at fault for the accident. DOT/OIGs investigation determined that between June 2007 and May 2008 CDGI drivers made numerous false entries in their drivers duty status logs. As part of the plea agreement, CDGI management admitted responsibility for the falsifications of the drivers duty status logs. Additionally, the plea agreement requires CDGI to install an FMCSA approved computerized monitoring device on all CDGI trucks. This DOT/OIG case was investigated with significant assistance by FMCSA. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2553 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2545 On September 21, 2009, Hugo Daniel Solana, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Newark, New Jersey, to one year probation and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment and a $500 fine in connection with his prior guilty plea for impersonating a Federal Motor Carrier Inspector. The Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Inspector Generals (OIGs) investigation determined that Mr. Solana owned a motor carrier consulting firm known as Redsol Safety Corporation (Redsol) in Union, New Jersey. Mr. Solana appeared at several trucking firms in the Newark, New Jersey, area where he displayed a gold badge, identified himself as a Inspector, and produced a business card bearing the DOT seal. He then threatened to arrest individuals for perceived motor carrier violations. Mr. Solana later returned and advised the victim companies that they could hire Redsol to resolve their motor carrier issues. During Mr. Solanas interview by the DOT OIG case agent Mr. Solana identified himself as a DOT Inspector and produced a gold badge. He was later arrested by DOT OIG special agents and the badge was confiscated. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2545 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2337 On August 4, in U.S. District Court, Houston, Texas, William M. Sexton, former CEO and chief mechanic for B&C FLIGHT MANAGEMENT pled guilty to a onecount information charging that in April 2004, Mr. Sexton made a false logbook entry regarding the installation of a static defect correction module in a Gates Learjet 25B. Our investigation of Mr. Sexton disclosed that between January 1998 and August 2004, Mr. Sexton was responsible for falsifying engine logbooks and other maintenance records by misrepresenting aircraft hours, inspection, and repairs. Mr. Sexton did this in order to deceive the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and to avoid costly required maintenance. Sentencing is scheduled for November 10, 2008. This was a joint investigation with FAA and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2337 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2336 On July 29, 2008, in U.S. District Court, Tampa, Florida, Santos Alamo and Gustavo Soler were each sentenced to 21 months imprisonment, followed by 2 years supervised release, for their involvement in a CDL fraud scheme. Previously, Mr. Alamo and Mr. Soler were arrested, along with two accomplices for their role in a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) fraud scheme and subsequently charged with conspiracy, wire fraud, and the fraudulent production and transfer of identification documents. The DOT/OIG investigation disclosed that both men conspired to pay bribes to an employee of the Pinellas County Tax Collectors Office, Largo, Florida, whose responsibility was to monitor CDL applicants and ensure their qualifications before a CDL was issued. Once this employee received a monetary bribe, they used their employment position to fraudulently issue CDLs to individuals who did not have the requisite training and documentation to support their qualifications.This DOT/OIG investigation was conducted jointly with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol, and the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles, Division of Driver License. Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2336 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2335 On July 21, 2008, in the U.S. District Court, Fresno, California, 5 defendants were sentenced after pleading guilty for false statements, and aiding and abetting related to their false drivers log book scheme. Sukhwinder Singh, Tarsem Singh Pahal, Bhinder Singh RAJU, Daljit Singh, and Jaspreet Singh were sentenced for keeping false drivers log books while employed as truck drivers for Nijjar Brothers Trucking, Inc. of Madera, CA. Mr. Sukhwinder Singh, the companys Safety Director, was sentenced to 6months home detention and 24months probation. The remaining defendants were sentenced to 3months confinement, 3months home detention, and 24months probation. In addition, all defendants were ordered not to work in the trucking industry unless approved by the Probation Office. During the OIG investigation, a driver for Nijjar Brothers Trucking, Inc caused a fourvehicle collision, killing a father and his 13yearold son and seriously injuring six others. The driver, Baljinder Singh, had been driving for at least 19 hours. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced for falsifying his log book entries and served time in jail. As a part of a sentencing agreement, the owners of the trucking company were required to inactivate their DOT numbers, dissolve the company, and each pay a fine of $50,000. The OIG investigation was conducted with assistance from the FMCSA and California Highway Patrol. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2335 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2319 On June 16, 2008, Mustafa Redzic, owner of Bosna Truck Driving School (Bosna), was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to 75 months imprisonment and 36 months supervised release. On April 2, 2008, Mr. Redzic was found guilty of bribery, conspiracy, and wire and mail fraud in a jury trial. DOT/OIGs investigation revealed that in early 2004, Mr. Redzic and Tony Parr, a State of Missouri drivers license examiner, devised a scheme whereby Mr. Redzic would send customers to Mr. Parrs testing facility in Sikeston, Missouri, to receive 30minute short tests instead of the average 2hour tests necessary to obtain their Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDLs). Mr. Parr also falsely completed the test results that stated that each student passed a full, complete, threepart Missouri CDL test and mailed the results to the State of Missouris Department of Revenue (DOR), which issues drivers licenses and CDLs and employs officials and contracts with third parties to administer drivers tests. Between January 1, 2004, and April 21, 2005, Mr. Redzic (through his company) earned approximately $1.8 million in tuition from more than 600 clients he sent through Mr. Parrs testing facility. DOR has cancelled or suspended all the CDLs and retested all the CDL holders that were processed through Mr. Redzic and Mr. Parr. This is an ongoing, multiagency investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Joint Terrorism Task Force; DOT/OIG; U.S. Marshals Service; Internal Revenue Service; Missouri State Highway Patrol; Postal Inspection Service; and St. Louis City and County Police Departments. Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2319 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2312 On June 2, 2008, Surinder S. Nijjar, owner and president of Nijjar Brothers Trucking, Inc. (Nijjar Brothers), Madera, California, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Fresno, California, to serve 12 months in prison and 36 months supervised probation and fined $5,000 for false statements and aiding and abetting. Amritpal Singh, coowner of Nijjar Brothers, was sentenced to 12 months probation and fined $5,000 for the same offenses. The company routinely encouraged its drivers to falsify log books, and once FMCSA exhausted its regulatory process to bring the company into compliance, it contacted DOT/OIG for assistance. The day that DOT/OIG Agents executed the first of two search warrants on Nijjar Brothers, one of the companys drivers had caused a fourvehicle collision, killing a father and his 13yearold son and seriously injuring his 17yearold son. Five other persons were injured. The driver had been driving for at least 19 hours; he was subsequently convicted and sentenced for falsifying logbook entries and served time in jail. As part of the sentencing agreement, the two owners are also required to inactivate their DOT numbers, dissolve the companies, not have any ownership or interest in a trucking company during the periods of their probations, and each pay a fine of $50,000 to the U.S. Treasury on behalf of their companies. Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2312 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2294 On April 24, 2008, Troy Parr, a former employee of a Missouri Stateauthorized drivers license examination facility, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, St. Louis, Missouri, to 1 year incarceration after pleading guilty on December 18, 2007, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and bribery charges. Mr. Parr managed an authorized thirdparty testing facility for Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDLs), and was empowered to administer and evaluate CDLs tests on behalf of the State of Missouri. During 2004 and 2005, Mr. Parr and Mustafa Redzic, owner of Bosna Truck Driving School, had an agreement that Mr. Redzics students would receive tests that included only a portion of the State mandated CDL test requirements from Mr. Parr and his colleagues at the testing facility. In return, Mr. Redzic agreed to make cash payments in excess of $5,000 to Mr. Parr and hired Mr. Parr as a “consultant” for his school and promised Mr. Parr a lucrative position at the school. Through this scheme, Mr. Parr facilitated the issuance of nearly 600 CDLs. Missouri State officials told these CDL holders to either surrender their licenses or submit to proper testing. Mr. Redzic was found guilty in U.S. District Court, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on April 2, 2008. This is an ongoing, multiagency investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Joint Terrorism Task Force; U.S. Marshals Service; Internal Revenue Service; Missouri State Highway Patrol; Postal Inspection Service; and the St. Louis City and County Police Departments. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2294 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2284 On April 2, 2008, Mustafa Redzic, owner of Bosna Truck Driving School, was found guilty in U.S. District Court, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, of bribery, conspiracy, and wire and mail fraud. On June 21, 2007, Mr. Redzic, along with Tony Parrthe former training director for the Commercial Drivers Training Academy (CDTA) and State of Missouri drivers license examinerwere indicted. The DOT/OIG investigation revealed that in early 2004, Mr. Redzic and Mr. Parr devised a scheme whereby Mr. Redzic would send customers to Mr. Parrs testing facility in Sikeston, Missouri, to receive 30minute short tests instead of the average 2hour tests necessary to obtain their Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDLs). In one instance, Mr. Redzic persuaded Mr. Parr to pass two of Mr. Redzics students who had not shown up for a test. In addition to the required fees, Mr. Redzic paid Mr. Parr more than $5,000 and promised him a higher paying job for favorable treatment.Mr. Parr also falsely completed the test results that stated that each student passed a full, complete, threepart Missouri CDL test and then mailed the results to the State of Missouris Department of Revenue (DOR), which issues drivers licenses and CDLs and employs officials and contracts with third parties to administer drivers tests. Between January 1, 2004, and April 21, 2005, Mr. Redzic (through his company) earned approximately $1.8 million in tuition from more than 600 clients he sent through Mr. Parrs testing facility. DOR has cancelled or suspended all the CDLs and retested all the CDL holders that were processed through Mr. Redzic and Mr. Parr. Mr. Redzic will be sentenced on June 16, 2008. Mr. Parr pled guilty to the charges and is scheduled for sentencing on April 24, 2008. This is an ongoing, multiagency investigation with DOT/OIG; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Joint Terrorism Task Force; U.S. Marshals Service; Internal Revenue Service; Missouri State Highway Patrol; Postal Inspection Service; and St. Louis City and County Police Departments. Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2284 http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2260 On March 11, Sergeui Leon and Eric HernandezSuarez pled guilty in U.S. District Court, Tampa, Florida, to wire fraud. Mr. Leon and Mr. HernandezSuarez were arrested, along with Gustavo Soler (aka Tao) and Santos Alamo, in January 2008, for their role in a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) fraud scheme. Specifically, the DOT/OIG investigation disclosed that the subjects conspired to pay bribes to Yolanda Pippins, an employee of the Florida Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) whose responsibility was to monitor CDL applicants and ensure their qualifications before she issued a CDL. Once Ms. Pippins received a monetary bribe, she used her employment position to fraudulently issue CDLs to individuals who did not have the requisite training and documentation to support their qualifications.Ms. Pippins pled guilty on August 11, 2006, to conspiracy to accept bribes in exchange for the issuance of fraudulent CDLs. The State DMV sent letters to all 144 individuals who obtained CDLs via Ms. Pippins asking that these individuals return to the DMV to ensure that the applications were processed properly or else have their CDL revoked. Subsequently, 139 CDLs were revoked. This investigation was conducted jointly with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles. Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.oig.dot.gov/item.jsp?id=2260