Two more plead guilty in California DMV CDL scheme

Two more co-conspirators have pleaded guilty for their role in a CDL scheme involving California Department of Motor Vehicles employees and truck driving schools. More than a dozen people involved have either pleaded guilty or await trial.

On Dec. 14, Donald Freeman and Juan Arturo Arroyo Gomez pleaded guilty in a California federal court. Freeman was a DMV employee and Arroyo Gomez was a middleman between the DMV and truck driving school employees involved in the scheme.

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

Scattaglia was a manager and licensing-registration examiner in Arleta and Granada Hills. Terraciano was motor vehicle representative at the Winnetka office.

The owners of the truck-driving schools 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 and $500 for each behind-the-wheel exam. Terraciano told agents she received $100 for each written exam.

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

Rahim Mahboob was charged on Nov. 16 with several counts for allegedly contacting and paying Terraciano to alter the computer records.

Ruvila Lima and Poya Khanjan also were charged on Nov. 16 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. She pleaded not guilty on Nov. 30. Khanjan shared a bank account with Lima and also offered students CDLs without tests in exchange for money.

Donald Freeman and Juan Arturo Arroyo Gomez were indicted on Nov. 9.

In another separate indictment on Nov. 16, Jagpal Singh, Jagdish Singh, Tajinder Singh, Parminder Singh and Shawana Denise Harris were charged for their role in the scheme. Jagpal owned Calcutta Truck School, Jagdish owned Gobind Truck School, Tajinder owned another trucking school, Parminder worked for Calcultta Truck School, and Harris was a DMV employee.

Both Scattaglia and Terraciano pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges on Nov. 3 after being indicted in October. A sentence hearing is scheduled for Feb. 2.

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 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.

Klem and Kulwinder Dosangh Singh have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Kimura pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison. Pavitar Dosangh Singh is scheduled for trial in April.