Thread: Man pleads guilty in CA. DMV fraud case

Man pleads guilty in DMV fraud case

The Fresno Bee
Mon, Aug 20, 2012 11:52 PM

Fresno resident Yadwinder Singh, 50, pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of conspiring to unlawfully produce California driver's licenses.

Authorities said Singh acted as a "recruiter" in a scheme to issue commercial driver's licenses to people who didn't pass the required tests. Singh was one of more than a dozen people who were arrested.

The operation allegedly centered on Fresno resident Alfonso Casarez, a former employee at the California Department of Motor Vehicles West Olive Avenue office.

According to a 34-count federal grand jury indictment, Casarez electronically altered DMV records to show that applicants for "Class C" or "Class A" commercial driver's licenses had passed required written and behind-the-wheel tests when in reality they hadn't taken the tests.

Instead, they had paid Casarez to alter DMV records.

Singh is the fourth of 15 people arrested in the scheme to plead guilty. All four are at a lower-level in the conspiracy.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill is scheduled to sentence Singh on Oct. 29. Casarez is set to go to trial in April.

Man pleads guilty in DMV fraud case - Crime & Court News - fresnobee.com

Incompetent monitoring and supervison is suggested here. One involved may be understandable but a dozen?

Originally Posted by kevinssdad

Incompetent monitoring and supervison is suggested here. One involved may be understandable but a dozen?

It doesn't say they were all D.M.V. employees.
Most involved were people buying licenses.
'Singh acted as a "recruiter" in a scheme'
The article only mentions one person as working for D.M.V.

I.C.E.News Release

August 20, 2012
Fresno, CA

Fresno man pleads guilty in California driver's license fraud scheme

FRESNO, Calif. – A Fresno man pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to conspiring to unlawfully produce California driver's licenses, following a probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Investigations Division, Office of Internal Affairs.

According to court documents, Yadwinder Singh, 50, recruited recipients in a scheme to sell fraudulently obtained commercial driver's licenses.

Singh would pass on information he obtained from potential recipients to former DMV technician Alfonso Casarez, who then proceeded to alter the electronic DMV records to make it appear as though the recipients had passed the required written and behind-the-wheel tests, causing the DMV to automatically issue a genuine license.

Singh found his clients by waiting outside the Fresno DMV offices and approaching DMV visitors with an offer to assist them in obtaining commercial licenses without the need to pass the required tests.

Another of his recruiting methods involved having clients complete a DMV application and receiving rudimentary instruction from Singh in operating a commercial truck. Upon giving Singh a substantial "tuition" payment, participants would be informed they had passed. A portion of that payment would go to Casarez, who would facilitate the unlawful issuance of the license.

Singh is schedule to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O'Neill Oct. 29. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry Z. Carbajal, III and Grant B. Rabenn.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE is a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit www.ICE.gov. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423 or complete our tip form.

• U.S. Dept of Homeland Security

Fresno man pleads guilty in California driver's license fraud scheme

I stand corrected, thanks John.