Another sentenced for CDL fraud scheme, four more remain

Another defendant has been sentenced in a federal criminal case accusing 16 people, including California Department of Motor Vehicles employees, of a CDL fraud scheme.

Parminder Singh is the latest defendant to put his case to a close, after a federal court sentenced the man for his role in the scheme. After more than four years of judicial proceedings, Singh was sentenced to time served for one count of conspiracy to commit bribery/fraud and one count of fraud involving identification documents. Singh also will be on supervised release for 12 months.

Singh is one of 16 defendants named in a criminal complaint alleging a CDL fraud scheme between a California DMV location and a trucking company. All but one defendant has reached a plea deal. The lone defendant fighting the allegations is DMV employee Shawana Denise Harris.

CDL fraud scheme involves DMV employees

According to court documents, from September 2014 to April 2017 owners of truck driving schools in Southern California paid DMV employees Kari Scattaglia and Lisa Terraciano to pass their CDL applicants without having to take the written and behind-the-wheel exams. Subsequently, the two DMV employees would access the agency’s database and alter the applicants’ records to incorrectly reflect passed examinations.

The owners of the truck driving schools – Jagdish, Jagpal, Parminder and Tajinder Singh – received at least $18,600 to have DMV records altered. In multiple undercover operations, agents posing as truckers were told by the owners they could pay from $1,500 to $9,000 to obtain a Class A CDL permit or license.

Scattaglia told FBI agents that she received $200 for each passed written exam for the CDL fraud scheme. She also received $500 for each behind-the-wheel exam. Meanwhile, Terraciano told agents she received $100 for each written exam.

In total, Scattaglia issued at least 68 fraudulent licenses in the scheme. Meanwhile, Terraciano estimated she issued approximately 60 fraudulent licenses a month, totaling to about 148 fraudulent licenses.

Additionally, Rahim Mahboob was charged in November 2017 with several counts for allegedly contacting and paying Terraciano to commit CDL fraud by altering the computer records.

Ruvila Lima and Poya Khanjan also were charged in November 2017 in a separate indictment for similar charges related to the scheme. Lima was an employee at a truck driving school and solicited students to give her money in exchange for CDLs without taking the appropriate tests. Similarly, Khanjan shared a bank account with Lima and also is accused of offering students CDLs without tests in exchange for money.

Subsequently, Donald Freeman and Juan Arturo Arroyo Gomez were indicted a few days prior. Freeman was a DMV employee who accessed the DMV’s database to commit CDL fraud. Arroyo Gomez was the middleman between Lima or Khanhan and Freeman within the scheme.

In another separate indictment, Jagpal, Jagdish, Tajinder, Parminder and Shawana Denise Harris were charged. Jagpal owned Calcutta Truck School and Jagdish owned Gobind Truck School. Tajinder owned another trucking school, Parminder worked for Calcutta Truck School, and Harris was a DMV employee.

In separate but related cases, Kulwinder Dosanjh Singh, Pavitar Dosangh Singh, Andrew Kimura and Emma Klem were all indicted on charges in July 2015 for their role in the CDL fraud scheme.

Kulwinder Dosanjh Singh and Pavitar Dosangh Singh were the two owners of the truck driving schools. Kimura and Klem were co-conspirators at the DMV.

The following is the status of the defendants involved in the CDL fraud ring:

• Shawana Denis Harris – Trial set for Sept. 26.
• Poya Khanjan – Sentencing set for April 26.
• Ruvila Lima – Sentencing set for May 10.
• Tajinder Singh – Sentencing set for July 14.
• Donald Freeman – Sentenced to 37 months imprisonment, 24 months supervised release.
• Juan Arturo Arroyo Gomez – Sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, 24 months supervised release.
• Andrew Kimura – Sentenced to 46 months imprisonment, 24 months supervised release and ordered to pay a $7,500 fine.
• Emma Klem – Sentenced to 23 months imprisonment, 36 months supervised release.
• Rahim Mahboob – Sentenced to 27 months imprisonment, 12 months supervised release and ordered to pay $58,500 fine.
• Kari Scattaglia – Sentenced to 32 months imprisonment, 24 months supervised release.
• Jagpal Singh – 39 months imprisonment, 12 months supervised release.
• Kulwinder Singh – Sentenced to 19 months imprisonment.
• Pavitar Singh – Sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, 36 months supervised release.
• Lisa Terraciano – Sentenced to 40 months imprisonment, 24 months supervised release.
• Jagdish Singh – Case dismissed.

Indictments alleging CDL fraud against all defendants were filed in 2017.  LL