Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, April 29, 2021:
Maryland man pleads guilty in CDL fraud scheme
Philip Mungin, 58, of Bryans Road, Maryland, pleaded guilty recently to forgery of a military discharge certificate and identity theft, in connection with a scheme in which Mungin provided fraudulent DD-214 discharge certificates to individuals for fraudulent military waiver applications for commercial driver’s licenses in exchange for payment.
According to his guilty plea, between 1997 and 1999, Mungin was enlisted in the Army. Upon Mungin’s discharge in 1999, a person identified as "Victim 1", was the “Senior Transition Specialist” who helped process Mungin’s discharge and signed Mungin’s military discharge certificate, known as the DD-214.
As detailed in the plea agreement, in December 2018, employees at the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration office in Waldorf, Maryland, became suspicious of waiver documents submitted by an applicant and confronted the applicant. The applicant, who had never been in the military, identified Mungin as the person who offered to help him get a CDL by submitting falsified military paperwork.
MVA investigators learned 44 individuals had submitted fraudulent waiver applications. Many of the drivers who obtained CDLs based on fraudulent military paperwork identified Mungin as the person who helped them. Thirty-four of the fraudulent applications had Victim 1’s name and title at the bottom of the form, many of which included a forged or photocopied version of Victim 1’s signature. The certifying commanding officer on nearly all the fraudulent waiver forms was the same, a purported colonel. Department of Defense records showed that no person by that name had ever served in the U.S. military.
Mungin admits that he falsified DD-214s and military waiver forms for drivers wanting to obtain CDLs, in exchange for the drivers paying him reportedly between $500 to $2,000 each.
Mungin said he received between $15,000 and $40,000 to create false military paperwork, including DD-214s, to assist drivers in fraudulently obtaining CDLs.
As part of his plea agreement, Mungin will be required to forfeit any money, property or assets derived as a result of, or used to facilitate, the commission of his illegal activities, and will also be required to pay a money judgment of $2,000.
Mungin faces a maximum sentence of one year in federal prison for forgery of a military discharge certificate and a maximum of 15 years in federal prison for identity theft. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis has scheduled sentencing for Aug. 16, at 10 a.m.
Axele TMS integrating with Apex Capital factoring
Transportation management system company Axele is partnering with Apex Capital to integrate factoring into the Axele TMS.
The integration allows carriers with Axele to connect directly with their Apex Capital accounts without leaving the TMS. Carriers will be able to sync Axele/Apex customers with one click, send invoice details and supporting documents to the Apex billing portal in seconds, create Apex invoices populated with all the relevant information automatically, and more.
“Small to midsized carriers often work with tight margins; factoring will help them to maintain a consistent cash flow with quicker payments allowing the carriers to haul more loads,” said Ryan Camacho, director of strategy and business development for Axele. “This partnership means our customers will be able to grow their businesses faster.”
MHC Kenworth relocates Georgia dealership
Murphy-Hoffman Company’s (MHC) full-service truck dealership in McDonough, Georgia, has relocated to a new facility off Interstate 75, making it the largest MHC location in the state.
MHC Kenworth – South Atlanta’s new full-service dealership offers 32 service and 14 body shop bays, a down draft paint booth, expanded parts department and new and used truck sales. The dealership offers a wide range of amenities, including a driver’s lounge, shower, washing machine and dryer to increase comfort for drivers.
State-of-the-art technology is featured throughout the facility, including CNG-compliant service capabilities, geothermal heating and air conditioning to save energy, and a body shop for repair services. A significant expansion was made for warehouse parts storage, ensuring that the McDonough location can stock even more high-demand truck parts while continuing to offer local delivery.
Located across 19 states, MHC is a network of over 120 locations, including 72 heavy and medium duty dealers, 27 MHC Truck Leasing locations and a wholly owned finance company, MHC Financial Services. MHC locations are open 7 days, 24 hours in all major markets.
