FMCSA inspector charged with bribery

A federal court has indicted a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration border inspector for allegedly taking a bribe in exchange for providing a Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance decal for a truck without inspection.

On June 8, a U.S. District Court grand jury indicted Eric Hernandez, an FMCSA safety specialist. The Laredo, Texas, court charged he sold a driver a Level I CVSA sticker knowing the vehicle lacked the corresponding inspection.

The state public safety department heard of the alleged incident, then obtained video footage of it before arresting Hernandez. The FMCSA subsequently placed him on administrative leave.

State and federal inspectors issue the CVSA decal to trucks passing roadside or periodic inspection.

An indictment is a grand jury’s formal charge that it found sufficient evidence the defendant committed the crime to justify a trial. The investigation is ongoing.