Aaron Hynes Sought to Procure More than 10,000 USDOT Numbers by Fraud
BOISE - Aaron G. Hynes, 27, of Kuna, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to making false statements to the United States Department of Transportation (“USDOT"), Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Pursuant to a written plea agreement filed with the court, Hynes pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal information.
According to the plea agreement, in August of 2015, Hynes solicited assistance from computer programmers to create a computer program that would automatically fill out at least 10,000 applications for USDOT numbers on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA") website, using false and fictitious names, addresses, telephone numbers of applicants and company officials. The FMCSA issues USDOT numbers to commercial motor carriers to track safety or other operational violations. Hynes’s purpose was to fraudulently obtain the 10,000 USDOT numbers and sell them to motor carriers for a profit.
According to the plea agreement, in October of 2015, Hynes caused to be submitted to the FMCSA, through its website, approximately 2,100 applications for USDOT numbers, using names, addresses, telephone numbers of applicants and company officials he knew to be false and fictitious. The false and fictitious names, addresses, telephone numbers of applicants and company officials submitted to the FMCSA caused FMCSA to register the fictitious applicants and issue approximately 2,100 USDOT numbers.
According to the plea agreement, Hynes’s submission of the approximately 2,100 applications caused a loss of $51,389. $32,439 of this loss was attributable to the time and resources FMSCA expended to identify and deactivate the approximately 2,100 fraudulent USDOT numbers that it issued. The remainder of the loss related to the implementation of preventative measures by the FMCSA.
Sentencing is set for Oct. 17, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill. A violation of making false statements to a government agency is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, a term of supervised release up to three years, and a $100 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Transportation, Office of the Inspector General.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
