Action in three trucking-related crimes – including a household goods moving fraud scheme, a commercial driver’s license scheme and computer-related fraud – has recently been reported by the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General.
New Jersey moving company owner pleads guilty to HHG moving fraud scheme
Rami Zubidat, the owner of several New Jersey-based moving companies, pleaded guilty June 12 to conspiracy related to a household goods moving fraud scheme.
According to OIG, Zubidat and his co-conspirators quoted low-ball price estimates for moving household goods, then once the goods were loaded onto trucks, the prices were raised.
Between 2013 and 2015, the companies handled hundreds of moves, OIG says, increasing their final prices above the amount allowed by federal regulations.
Former Mississippi Highway Patrol officer pleads guilty to CDL fraud scheme
A former CDL tester at the Mississippi Highway Patrol pleaded guilty June 14 to identity theft and making false statements for her role in a CDL fraud scheme.
An investigation by OIG revealed that Tonya Davis, between September 2017 and January 2018, committed fraud by unlawfully using the names and testing identification credentials of multiple CDL testers without their consent. She also allegedly represented on paperwork and in the state database that individuals passed driver skills tests when she knew they had not taken the tests.
Alabama man sentenced for accessing FMCSA databases without authorization
Gary Stratton, a former Alabama Law Enforcement Agency trooper, was sentenced to two years of probation, a $3,200 fine and a $100 special assessment for committing computer-related fraud.
OIG’s investigation found that between June 2018 and January 2019, Stratton intentionally accessed Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration databases without authorization for financial gain and commercial advantage.
He was employed by a company that provided motor carrier consulting services in Alabama. He used his credentials obtained while he was a state trooper to access the databases and gain sensitive information, OIG says.
