Investigations

On August 23, 2019, Aaron Gilliam was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Sacramento, California, to 22 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee. He had been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, identity fraud, and the unauthorized access of a computer.

 

Between 2011 and 2017, Gilliam was responsible for processing applications for commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in Hollywood, California. He admitted that between April 2016 and July 2017, in exchange for money, he accessed the DMV’s database and altered CDL applicants’ records to show that they had passed the written examination that is required to obtain a license. However, the applicants had not passed and, in some cases, had not even taken the tests. Due to Gilliam’s actions, at least 57 fraudulent CDLs and permits were issued.

 

DOT-OIG conducted this investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Homeland Security–Homeland Security Investigations, and California DMV.