A Florida man was sentenced last month for his role in a commercial driver’s license testing fraud scheme.
Taras Chabanovych was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, on Oct. 26 to 60 days’ time served, two years’ supervised release, a $226,620 criminal forfeiture and a $100 special court assessment. Chabanovych pleaded guilty in May 2017 to an indictment that charged him with conspiracy to cause the production of fraudulent commercial driver’s licenses.
Between approximately April 2014 and December 2016, Chabanovych fraudulently undermined CDL testing procedures at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, according to the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. As a result, genuine Florida CDLs were issued to New York-based applicants, who later exchanged them for CDLs in their home state.
The scheme also led to the issuance of Florida CDL learner’s permits and photo IDs, investigators said.
For as much as $2,600 per applicant, Chabanovych helped CDL applicants obtain documentation establishing bogus Florida residence so they could take the Florida CDL exam, investigators said.
He also provided sophisticated video and audio devices, concealed on the CDL applicants, that transmitted CDL test questions to Chabanovych off site, allowing him to supply correct answers to the applicants through earpieces.
Taras Chabanovych was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, on Oct. 26 to 60 days’ time served, two years’ supervised release, a $226,620 criminal forfeiture and a $100 special court assessment. Chabanovych pleaded guilty in May 2017 to an indictment that charged him with conspiracy to cause the production of fraudulent commercial driver’s licenses.
Between approximately April 2014 and December 2016, Chabanovych fraudulently undermined CDL testing procedures at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, according to the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. As a result, genuine Florida CDLs were issued to New York-based applicants, who later exchanged them for CDLs in their home state.
The scheme also led to the issuance of Florida CDL learner’s permits and photo IDs, investigators said.
For as much as $2,600 per applicant, Chabanovych helped CDL applicants obtain documentation establishing bogus Florida residence so they could take the Florida CDL exam, investigators said.
He also provided sophisticated video and audio devices, concealed on the CDL applicants, that transmitted CDL test questions to Chabanovych off site, allowing him to supply correct answers to the applicants through earpieces.
