Six Charged in Louisiana CDL Bribery Scheme

Authorities in Louisiana have indicted six individuals in connection with an alleged bribery conspiracy aimed at circumventing the process for obtaining commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). The scheme involved restaurant owner Mahmoud Alhattab, who is accused of accepting payments to help applicants bypass crucial requirements for licensure.

Bypassing Tests and Training for Cash

According to an affidavit, Alhattab allegedly accepted payments from CDL applicants in exchange for helping them bypass three key requirements: the written knowledge test, federally mandated entry-level driver training, and the road skills examination. This fraudulent process allowed individuals to obtain CDLs without meeting the necessary qualifications.

The conspiracy heavily involved two Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) staffers from Donaldsonville, Jenay Davis and Shakira Millien. They are accused of taking CDL knowledge tests on behalf of applicants and reportedly used the internet to find test answers during the exams. To circumvent the training requirement, Alhattab allegedly collaborated with truck driver training business operators Christopher Bryan Burns and Jonathan Parsons. Parsons and Burns are accused of falsely documenting that individuals had completed the required classes, even though they had not. Furthermore, both Burns and Parsons, who are certified examiners, submitted fraudulent passing results for the skills test. In some instances, Parsons reportedly worked with another skills tester, Marline Roberts, to fabricate score sheets supporting these false results.

Federal Charges and Potential Penalties

All six individuals are now facing federal charges. The primary charge is conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, with varying counts of wire fraud and bribery related to federally funded programs for each defendant. Alhattab and Parsons face two counts of honest services wire fraud each, while Burns, Davis, and Roberts are charged with one count of wire fraud involving honest services. Bribery charges also vary, with Alhattab, Millien, and Parsons each facing four counts, and Burns, Davis, and Roberts each charged with one count.

Violations of wire fraud carry a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, while bribery counts each carry a maximum of up to 10 years. Additionally, defendants could face fines up to $250,000 per count, along with supervised release and special assessment fees. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson reminded the public that an indictment is merely a charge, and guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.