The state of Florida requires a person to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in order to operate certain vehicles. A 49-year-old woman was recently accused of white collar crime involving an alleged fraud scheme pertaining to CDLs issued in the state. She and two others were charged with conspiracy; the woman has since pleaded guilty.
The initial allegations against the woman stated that she helped students cheat during the written portion of their commercial driver’s license tests. She was employed by a trucking school and reportedly used communication equipment to transmit the answers to the test questions to students. Hundreds of students who apparently should have failed the test obtained CDLs in Florida instead.
The Florida Highway Patrol stated that it became suspicious after noticing that many of the addresses listed on recent CDL applications were identical. To be eligible for a Florida CDL, one must first obtain a valid driver’s license in the state. The woman and those who were apparently helping her in the scheme are said to have produced the false documentation to help the out-of-state students get their licenses.
As a result of her guilty plea in this white collar crime case, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison, plus one year of supervised release. A criminal defense attorney would be able to offer counsel and guidance to those facing similar charges in Florida, whether at the state or federal level. It is typically advisable to consult with a lawyer as soon as possible after an arrest has taken place.
Source: stnonline.com, “Florida Woman Sentenced to Prison in CDL Fraud Scheme”, Jeanette Reveles, Jan. 5, 2016
