Several trucking-related court decisions have been made recently. Here’s a summary of what happened with each:
Two plead guilty in scheme to bribe DMV employees to issue CDLs
Two people, including a California DMV employee, recently pleaded guilty to their roles in a conspiracy to sell Class A CDLs without the buyer having to take or pass the required tests. Four more people, including two other DMV employees, were charged in the 17-count indictment.
According to court documents, between June 2011 and March 2015, three owners of truck driving schools acted as brokers who accepted money from individuals who wanted Class A CDL without having to take and pass the required written and behind-the-wheel driving tests. The brokers used the money to bribe DMV employees to access the DMV’s computer database to submit false information that the individuals had passed the tests. This resulted in the DMV issuing official driver’s licenses to individuals who were not qualified to receive such licenses.
Emma Klem, 45, of Salinas, Calif., a DMV employee who worked in a Salinas DMV branch, and trucking school owner Kulwinder Dosanjh Singh, aka Sodhi Singh, 58, of Turlock, Calif., were charged earlier in separate criminal pleadings and entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit bribery and to commit identity fraud.
The indictment charges trucking school owners Pavitar Dosangh Singh, aka Peter Singh, 55, of Sacramento; and Mangal Gill, 55, of San Ramon, Calif.; and DMV examiners Andrew Kimura, 30, of Sacramento; and Robert Turchin, 65, of Salinas, with conspiracy, bribery and fraud in connection with identification documents. The indictment specifically references the involvement of Klem and Sodhi Singh.
Klem and Sodhi Singh are scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 17. They face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. Peter Singh and Kimura were arraigned on Aug. 7, and entered pleas of not guilty. Turchin and Gill are scheduled to be arraigned on Friday, Aug. 14. If convicted, they face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.
