http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/state/artic ... 35,00.html

License examiner pleads to scam

By Associated Press
July 18, 2006

NASHVILLE — A former Murfreesboro driver’s license examiner is among four people who have pleaded guilty to taking part in a conspiracy to award fraudulent driving documents to illegal immigrants in exchange for money.

Bruce Conklin pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges during a federal court hearing for providing the driver’s licenses in exchange for more than $30,000 in bribes from Winchester Driving School.

Also entering guilty pleas Monday were Bryan Guess, former owner of the school, and Sheila Robertson, a former employee of Guess. Shun Gao, who worked at a Chinese restaurant in Murfreesboro, pleaded guilty in May.

The three were among six people indicted on bribery and conspiracy charges in January as part of Operation Crooked Highway.

Prosecutors have said the driving school had a contract with the state to issue "third-party certificates" after providing six hours of driving instruction and administering written and road driving tests to students. According to the indictment, the school was accepting money to issue the third-party certificate without any training or tests.

Conklin and former Tennessee Department of Safety co-worker Teresa Jones were accused of accepting bribes from Guess. The bribes were used to obtain driver’s licenses and one-year certificates of driving through the school.

Robertson was indicted for paying bribes. Gao was charged with paying bribes to a public official. Syed Abbas Parvez was charged with giving a safety employee $1,100 for a driving certificate, documents and a driver’s license from a Pakistani resident.

Sentencing hearings for Conklin, Guess and Robertson are set for Oct. 16 and Gao’s is scheduled for Aug. 11. Jones has asked for a trial.

In February, Tennessee stopped issuing driving certificates to illegal immigrants, citing problems with ensuring they were going only to state residents after federal investigators found rings shuttling in immigrants from elsewhere.