Not your father’s CDL fraud
How bad is CDL fraud in the trucking industry?
If a couple of recent incidents are any indication, it’s safe to say that the problem has reached a new level.
One allegation involves people dressing up in fake beards to pull off a CDL scheme. Another incident involves police officers accepting bribes of candy and bottled water in exchange for a license.
In disguise?
The Nassau County, N.Y. District Attorney’s Office recently announced a 51-count indictment against seven individuals, including three New York State Department of Motor Vehicle representatives.
Former DMV supervisor, Kanaisha Middleton, 33; DMV representative Tawanna Whitfield, 36; DMV representative Satoya Mitchell, 35 and Kanaisha Middleton’s sister, Jamie Middleton, 35, were charged with four felonies and one misdemeanor.
The New York Inspector General’s Office was alerted to the scheme by a supervisor at the Garden City DMV branch, who alleged employees were processing CDL permit applications without applicants sitting for the required test, a Nassau County news release said.
On six occasions between March 2023 and September 2023, Jamie Middleton allegedly approached DMV employees dressed in various disguises, including baggy clothing, facemasks, construction jackets and fake facial hair, according to an investigation and surveillance video from the DMV.
“This scheme was an unbelievable organized breach of public trust and the trust of millions of drivers using Long Island’s roads,” Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly said. “Safely driving large trucks on our roads requires understanding the rules. A single-second hesitation or misjudgment could spell catastrophe. These defendants demonstrated, for the right price, they would sell out their integrity and the safety of others.”
The indictment also alleges that Jamie Middleton took CDL exams for permit applicants James Nurse, 42; Omesh Mohan, 42; and Rene Sarduy, 44, who are also charged in the indictment with tampering with public records and falsifying business records.
If convicted, all defendants face a maximum sentence of 2 1/3 to 7 years in prison.
Sweet justice
Bribes of Twizzlers, Swedish Fish candy and Fiji water are leading to prison time for a former Massachusetts Police sergeant.
Those are some of the products accepted in another CDL fraud scheme.
According to multiple reports, Gary Cederquist was sentenced to six years in prison for his role in a scheme where he provided CDLs to applicants in exchange for bribes. In addition to the prison sentence, he was given two years of supervised release and ordered to pay more than $50,000 in fines and restitution.
Cederquist was charged in a 74-count indictment along with five others. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts alleged that Cederquist gave passing scores to multiple applicants from a water company who actually failed the CDL skills test, as well as others who only took a partial test.
In exchange, Cederquist received free water, energy drinks, coffee and tea products, as well as Twizzlers and Swedish Fish candy. Cederquist was convicted by a jury in May.
Eric Mathison, who worked for the water company, was sentenced to one year in prison and three years of supervised release in September.
Calvin Butner, another former Massachusetts State Police trooper, was sentenced for his role in the scheme in August. Butner was sentenced to three months in prison followed by one year of supervised release.
Others named in the indictment include Perry Mendes, Joel Rogers and Scott Camara.
All CDL recipients identified as not qualified in the course of this investigation were reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. LL