Thread: Man and woman admit taking unqualified drivers to Wisconsin

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

By Mike Robinson
The Associated PressTwo former employees of a company that promised to help people seeking legal status in the United States admitted Tuesday that they helped unqualified drivers get commercial licenses in Wisconsin by setting up bogus addresses for them.

Rafal Maliszewski, 25, also admitted he coached the applicants on the right answers to driver's license tests given by Wisconsin's division of motor vehicles, and Magdalena Jelic, 28, said she was aware that he was providing such coaching.

The two each appeared before U.S. District Judge Joan B. Gottschall and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to make false statements on a bank application. They agreed to help prosecutors investigate a scheme under which hundreds of applicants got Wisconsin licenses.

The case is an outgrowth of the government's seven-year Operation Safe Road investigation of corruption bribes paid in exchange for commercial drivers licenses and other corruption.

Maliszewski and Jelic worked for Bamba Inc., a Chicago company that claimed it helped individuals who wanted legal documents and legal status in this country.

The company was headed by Adam Babul, 48, who went on trial Tuesday before Gottschall, charged with conspiring to defraud the government.

Maliszewski was a prosecution witness Tuesday and Jelic is expected to take the stand before the expected weeklong trial is over.

The two said in plea agreements that the company guaranteed a commercial drivers license to customers in return for a payment, typically about $2,000.

They said the company paid Wisconsin residents to allow them to use their addresses as those of the customers who were seeking commercial drivers licenses. They then set up Wisconsin bank accounts for the license seekers, they said.

Mail sent by the Wisconsin bank to the addresses was then shown to officials of the state's motor vehicles division as proof of residency in Wisconsin, according to the plea agreements.

The two pleas came one day after a fourth defendant in the case, Anieszka D. Gierula, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to make false statements.

In exchange for their cooperation, the government pledged to recommend a break when Maliszewski and Jelic are sentenced. Sentencing has been postponed until the case is resolved.

Federal guidelines call for a maximum of 18 months for Jelic and 16 for Maliszewski.

Operation Safe Road has led to more than 70 indictments including former Gov. George Ryan, who has pleaded innocent in his racketeering case.

Federal guidelines call for a maximum of 18 months for Jelic and 16 for Maliszewski

Not even close to enough jail time, IMO.