Truck driving school employee sentenced for role in CDL fraud scheme

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

A federal district court judge in California has sentenced Ruvila Lima, a truck driving school employee, to time served for her role in the CDL fraud scheme after four and a half years in litigation. Lima was scheduled for a jury trial in September.

In May, Lima pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and one count of fraud. Nine other charges were dismissed. She also was ordered to serve 36 months of supervised release and pay a $500 fine.

Lima 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 defendants have reached a plea deal.

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 Singh 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.

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 was 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 – Sentencing set for Sept. 29.
• Tajinder Singh – Sentencing set for September 8.
• Poya Khanjan – Sentenced to time served, 12 months supervised release.
• Ruvila Lima – Sentenced to time served, 36 months supervised release.
• Parminder Singh – Sentenced to time served, 12 months supervised release.
• 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