Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, April 25, 2024:
Roderick Billingslea, a Georgia-based former fleet owner, pleaded guilty on April 11 to one count of wire fraud and one count of falsification of records in a federal investigation.
A Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Small Business Administration OIG investigation revealed that Billingslea devised a scheme to defraud SBA by using false statements and fraudulent pretenses related to a loan/grant request for CARES Act funds. As a result, Billingslea wrongfully received $564,363.
Additionally, Billingslea knowingly made false statements to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Form MCSA-1, which is required to operate as a motor carrier.
After FMCSA ordered Billingslea to cease operation for willful violations, he reincarnated numerous motor carriers, including E-Cargo, Hidden Valley Transportation, US Transport, Midwest Express, and Dispatch USA, to bypass federal regulations and laws.
The Transportation Intermediaries Association, which represents brokers and third-party logistics providers, has released an updated version of its Framework to Combat Fraud: Preventing & Responding to Fraud and Theft.
The 40-page document examines the latest trends in fraud in the supply chain and assists TIA members in developing and implementing their own policies and procedures to reduce potential fraud and theft of cargo.
