Florida officials charge 3 in CDL fraud scheme
Three people are facing felony charges in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain commercial driver’s licenses.
On Tuesday, Aug. 25, officials in Miami-Dade County announced that Matthew Howard Jr., Keith Garrod Jones and Vanessa Erika Roberts had been arrested for their roles in the alleged scheme.
Officials said Howard and Jones, who are employees of the Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department, failed to pass both the knowledge and skill exams for a CDL. The two then allegedly paid an employee of the Tax Collector’s office, Roberts, to bypass those requirements.
“A commercial driver’s license must certify that the person behind the wheel has satisfied the requirements to operate large commercial vehicles safely,” Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez said in a statement. “Bypassing those safeguards undermines the licensing process and puts everyone on our roads at risk.”
Investigators claim that Roberts fraudulently processed the two commercial driver’s license applications in the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles system as out-of-state CDL transfers.
Howard and Jones are both charged with one count of Official Misconduct, a third-degree felony, and one count of Unlawful Compensation or Reward for Official Behavior, a second-degree felony. Roberts is charged with two counts of each offense.
According to the release, Roberts is no longer employed by the Tax Collector’s Office. The employment status of Howard and Jones was not specified.
“When I took office, I made clear that protecting the integrity of this office and restoring public trust would be a priority,” Fernandez said. “When wrongdoing is uncovered, we act. Anyone who abuses public authority for personal gain must be held accountable.”
An investigation into the scheme is still ongoing. Officials said the Tax Collector’s office is “reviewing related transactions and records and will take any additional administrative or corrective action warranted by its findings.” LL