July 2, 2025
Staff
July 2, 2025
Authorities announced the indictment of 14 individuals on Tuesday in connection with a sweeping criminal conspiracy that infiltrated New York’s Department of Motor Vehicles and endangered public safety.
District Attorney Michael E. McMahon, alongside New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang and several federal and state partners, revealed that the long-running scheme involved DMV employees, a Queens-based driving school, test-taking imposters, and unqualified applicants who paid to fraudulently obtain driver’s licenses.
Investigators allege that corrupt DMV examiners accepted cash to falsify test results or allow individuals to bypass exams altogether. In some cases, even the required learner’s permits were fraudulently issued. The defendants now face charges including impairing the integrity of a government licensing examination, falsifying business records, tampering with public records, and identity theft.
“Today, we announce the arrests of several individuals involved in a deeply troubling, far-reaching, and corrosively corrupt scheme that struck at the very core of public trust and public safety,” McMahon said. “Let me be clear, this was not a victimless crime. This has created a public safety crisis, putting innocent lives at risk each day.”
Inspector General Lang called the conduct a “shocking betrayal of public trust,” noting that those charged “saw public service not as the privilege that it is, but as a permission slip for corruption.”
The alleged perpetrators used deceptive social media tactics and targeted members of the Chinese community with ads promising guaranteed licenses regardless of language barriers, immigration status, or driving ability. Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Ricky J. Patel said the operation exploited vulnerable populations while compromising road safety.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service officials said the scheme also involved mail fraud. “When you use the U.S. Mail for illegal activity, you should also expect to be caught and brought to justice,” said Acting Inspector in Charge Edward Gallashaw.
DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder praised staff who aided the investigation, stating, “They continue to work tirelessly to make sure New York’s roads are as safe as possible and ensure that no one is above the law.”
“This takedown sends a strong message,” McMahon added. “We will hold accountable anyone who abuses their public office, circumvents the law, or undermines the systems that millions of Americans rely on in good faith.”