Thread: Company Selling "International DL's" to Latinos

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Local company has records seized by IRS 8:19 AM

08:19 AM EDT on Tuesday, March 27, 2007

By STUART WATSON / WCNC
E-mail Stuart: SWatson@WCNC.com


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A company WCNC investigated last year for selling "international driver's licenses" is under the spotlight again, but this time it is the IRS who is investigating their business.

American Professional also offers a tax service in addition to selling so-called "international driver's licenses." The IRS has apparently taken an interest in American Professional's tax work.

Last fall we sent a Spanish-speaking intern with a hidden camera to American Professional Services.

We wanted to know where you could legally drive with this so-called "international drivers license."

"You can drive wherever you want - even in California if you like," an American Professional employee told us.

"That's just a scam that's all it is," said Officer Carlos Pozo, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Officer Carlos Pozo and CMPD's international relations unit have been warning Latinos for years not to waste their money on international driver's licenses.

"That license is not valid. It's not a valid license," he said.

American Professional's operator Shante Smith blamed her employee for exaggerating the benefits of the international driver's license.

WCNC: "Did you ever tell her that's how it works?"

Smith: "No… You can't even send it to a company without a license. The company won't accept it… I'm thinking maybe that it's something she's doing on the side and we don’t know about it."

Smith did not return our phone calls on Monday.

Last week IRS agents visited the company and reportedly seized records.

The IRS confirms they visited the company on official business but will not say anything more.

Meantime, callers to Radio Lider, a local Latino radio station, have complained they filed their taxes with American Professional services and were due refunds which they haven't received.

Meantime, callers to Radio Lider, a local Latino radio station, have complained they filed their taxes with American Professional services and were due refunds which they haven't received.

Imagine that! Who would have thought that a business supplying bogus licenses would defraud the Illegals who came with illegal intent?