Jackson, Miss -Robert Anthony Davis, 49, of Clinton, pleaded guilty today to commercial driver’s license fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Regional Special Agent in Charge Todd Damiani with the U.S. Department of Transportation - Office of Inspector General.
Davis was charged on March 5, 2018, with making false and fraudulent material representations. Davis previously worked for a company that provided training and certification to individuals seeking commercial driver’s licenses ("CDLs"). His employment only authorized certification to those who were students of the company. However, Davis provided paperwork to those who were not students of his employer, representing that the applicant had taken the road skills test, when in fact the applicant had not. The fraudulent paperwork was provided to individuals seeking to obtain a CDL in exchange for payment to Davis. The fraudulent paperwork was presented by these individuals to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety in order to secure a CDL. A review of the commercial drivers’ paperwork in Mississippi showed that some of the applicants could not have achieved the results on the paperwork. Some CDL holders were interviewed and said they had never taken the test and just paid Davis for the paperwork.
"This investigation demonstrates our commitment to protecting the efficacy of DOT’s commercial driver’s license regulations and advancing safety on the roads by ensuring that only qualified individuals obtain CDLs," stated Todd Damiani, Regional Special Agent-In-Charge at U.S. DOT-OIG. "Working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue our vigorous efforts to prevent, detect and prosecute fraud schemes which endanger the traveling public."
The case was investigated by the United States Department of Transportation - Office of Inspector General, Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
