Owners of Westfield Transport indicted in federal court

Federal charges were the result of an investigation after a crash in New Hampshire involving a Westfield Transport Inc. vehicle that caused the death of seven motorcyclists in June 2019.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, from May 3, 2019, to June 23, 2019, Dunyadar Gasanov and Dartanayan Gasanov, owners of West Springfield, Mass.-based Westfield Transport, falsified driving logs in order to evade regulations designed to ensure the safety of roadways.

In addition, the defendants also are charged with instructing others to falsify logs and providing false statements to investigators.

Dunyadar Gasanov is accused of instructing at least one Westfield Transport employee to falsify records, exceeding the number of permissible driving hours, and making a false statement to a federal inspector regarding the manipulation of recording devices to evade regulations, according to the indictment.

Dunyadar Gasanov was indicted Feb. 26 in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts on one count each of falsification of records, conspiracy to falsify records, and making a false statement to a federal investigator.

Dartanyan Gasanov was indicted on one count of falsification of records.

The driver in the fatal 2019 crash, Volodymr Zhukovskyy, also is facing multiple charges after a December report by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed he was under the influence of illicit drugs at the time of the crash, which is suspected to be the primary cause of the crash.

Westfield Transport was a for-hire interstate motor carrier that transported vehicles primarily in the northeastern United States. LL

Land Line Now News Anchor Terry Scruton contributed to this story.