A federal investigation into fraudulently issued CDLs has so far caught up at least two driving schools and two DMV clerks, with more possibly to follow.
According to court documents which were filed on Wednesday and unsealed on Thursday morning, two California DMV employees have already been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit identity fraud, and unauthorized use of a computer.
As part of the investigation, two undercover agents approached the owners of two Southern California trucking schools and offered to pay money if they could get a CDL without having to pass a written or driving exam.
The as-yet-unnamed trucking school owners then allegedly passed bribes to DMV employees. Those employees would then illegally enter passing scores for the drivers without them even having to take the exams.
It appears that this was not a contained issue. One of the DMV workers named in the case so far, Kari Scattaglia, is a DMV manager who works in two offices while the other DMV employee, Lisa Terraciano, works in a third.
It is still unclear how many fraudulent CDLs may have been issued, but the court documents state that this conspiracy lasted from September of 2014 until April of 2017. The documents also allege that Scattaglia improperly accessed DMV computers to change exam records “repeatedly.”
Both Scattaglia and Terraciano face the conspiracy and unauthorized use charges. According to the Sacramento Bee, they could face up to five years in prison.
But the conspiracy doesn’t appear to be limited to just these two workers. The court documents refer to “other DMV conspirators” who have not yet been named.
This is still a developing story on what is very likely a continuing investigation, so check back in for updates!
Source: thesacramentobee
Was one of the companies Swift?😆
That was my first thought😅
All CDL’s issued from 2014 until 2017 should be called back or revolted. All members holding a CDL between those years and from her office of the two DMV clerks, should be called in and have to take the written exam and road test.
You are correct I agree …no wiggle room
Need to pull all cdl’s issued from the two dmv clerks. Have them retest and road test. Holders of those cdl’s are a dangerous too all truckers out here now. Do they knows how to operate a truck safely? No training on safety and the FMCSA rules. Don’t think I want to come back to California knowing that you might have that many drivers out there without proper training. I have been behind this steering wheel for 20 years and I am still learning when you stop learning that’s when you need to get out of the business. I hope California does the right thing and not push this under the carpet. Lives are at risk and it could mind.
With all the trucks coming & going across the boarder every day do you think they’re in compliance with any Federal Motor Carrier laws . You talk as if CDL school is 4 years of college or something all they do is teach you enough to pass your skills test the real training doesn’t come to your first job experience only thing I agree with is you never stop learning! Hell everybody on a California highway is an idiot it’s not the 18 wheelers I worry about
Im pretty sure that this is happening arpund the Detroit area too. Too many times I see someone do shit that makes me wonder how they attained a CDL.
In Illinois, they called our DMV fraud, “pay for play.” They accused the fraud to going all the way to the governor’s office and our governor spent decades in jail. Why is this, in California, different than in Illinois?
These jerks might get 5 years for putting multiple untrained and unqualified drivers on the road. Totally and maliciously jeopardizing public safety.. In the meantime the next article gives a trucker life sentence plus for a double fatal accident. How many accidents and result of have happened cause of these DMV Officials ?
I would be surprised if they even get 5 yrs. Yea the driver that smuggled Mexicans may get life and he may not of even known they were in the trailer. Our “justice” system is a joke.
Bravo
Couldn’t have said it better.
Dosent matter driving schools arent teaching nothing anyways.
Clearly public schools aren’t teaching grammar either….
He’s a driver that been driving since the age of 13 and knows how to drive any truck. That’s the story I always hear. So any kind of education don’t apply to these drivers because they live in their own perfect world.
Correct sir
Not a whole lot different than allowing mega carrier schools issue CDL’s onsite.
These women should be taken to thé families of those who died in previous article. They should have to work as maids for 5 years… maybe they are responsible for many lives being taken on the road… money the root of ALL evil….
Have to work as maids for 5 years? What have you got against maids? Hazel was a great maid and she was very happy taking care of the Baxters for years. These two should be Thelma and Louise’d– put into a rolling rig headed for a cliff!
MONEY is not the root of all evil, but the HUMAN DESIRE for money. That is sort of like saying guns kill or that alcohol causes accidents. There is only 1 reason for this HUMANS!
This is the tip of the iceberg. I taught in and ran commercial truck driving programs in schools for nearly 25 years, and as a representative of a certifying agency, visited and examined more than 100 schools. Until the feds pass laws with teeth requiring mandatory training of no less than 160 hours in certified schools, there will continue to be many more “CDL mills” than legitimate schools. I’ve preached this for more than 25 years, and many agree in public. But at the end of the day, money talks and safety walks.
Been through one of those cdl mills, however, I also have a decade of safe driving with no accidents, violations, or tickets.
That is DAMN GOOD
I ENVY YOU
MY TRUCKING SISTER
KEEP IT UP
JB…….
This does not surprise me at all. Given the quality and quantity of so called “professional ” drivers on the road today, I will bet that this is more common then meets the eye. Drivers speeding, speeding through work zones, no lane control, no idea how to center in a lane, on their cell phones, passing in no passing zones, and the list could go on and on. Driver shortage, bull… shortage of trained, qualified drivers, yes. If the carriers want to keep qualified, safe and productive drivers, try pulling back on the micro managing, pay us with a wage we can live with, pay us for all the work we do, and I think the problem will cure itself.
So true new drivers can’t shift or drive.
Just met a fella with that same problem. He said he’s an automatics only driver.
my problem here is they are willing to name the 2 employees- but not the school? what is wrong with this picture?
The state employees probably won’t even lose their jobs. Do you have any idea how hard it is to fire a California state worker?
All of these comments here are completely vaild! My thoughts are the innocent people that may have been killed or will be in the future due to drivers with zero experience.
So, as a quasi judge, Im going to pass down a real sentence. Once that will send a real message to corrupt DMV and School employees.
DEATH BY HANGING!
Good……About time..!! Feds…need to check every single State with “CDL Training Schools”…They will spend the next decade generating Federal cases.
I know Steven’s Transportation out of Dallas, TX was doing it from 2012 on it’s not just California they all do it
California only ???
Going to be a huge shortage of drivers now, probably dam near every major city has done it and some rural areas also, especially NY, NJ, CT, FL, MI, CA, and TX. I can everyone of us having to do mandatory testing to get it straightened out.
Why am I not surprised about This? In the past 10 yrs, or so, the drivers they’re pushing out, are questionable, at best..No, professionalism, at all..