Louisiana bribery scheme gave 124 people CDLs without training or tests

Alhattab sometimes operated the OMV camera for learner-permit photographs. The written knowledge examination covers vehicle safety systems and emergency situations. It also addresses driving maneuvers and extreme road conditions. A learner’s permit must come before training and a skills examination.

Fake training records followed false permits

Most CDL candidates must complete entry-level driver training after obtaining a learner’s permit. That instruction includes demonstrating proficiency while driving a commercial vehicle on public roads. Alhattab admitted bribing two truck-driver training business operators to avoid that requirement. One of those operators was defendant Jonathan Parsons.

Alhattab sent Parsons photographs of commercial learner’s permits through cellphone messages. Parsons used that information to create false training records, prosecutors said. He admitted reporting successful completion in a federal database despite no actual instruction. Those entries moved candidates toward the final licensing stage.

Louisiana requires commercial drivers to pass a skills examination. That assessment includes pre-trip inspections, basic vehicle control and safety-related on-road driving. Parsons and another business operator held state certification to administer those evaluations. Alhattab admitted bribing both men to defeat the final requirement.

Examiner entered passing tests without drivers

Parsons admitted reporting passing skills-test results to the state for people who never took examinations. Early in the operation, Alhattab sometimes drove the test vehicle while posing as an applicant. He did so to make it appear that Parsons conducted a legitimate evaluation. Parsons later entered results without Alhattab or the applicant appearing at the test site.

Defendant Marline Roberts worked as another skills-test examiner. She admitted creating seven phony score sheets during early 2023. Those records supported Parsons’ false reports, according to the Justice Department. Parsons paid Roberts to assist with the operation on some occasions.

Alhattab admitted causing at least 124 people to fraudulently receive CDLs. Parsons admitted causing at least 118 people to receive credentials through false training entries, test reports or both. The three defendants face sentencing on Oct. 28. Their offense carries up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and a $100 assessment.

The FBI and U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Louisiana’s Office of Inspector General and Public Safety Services also assisted the inquiry. Other defendants charged in the indictment await trial. Those charges remain accusations until prosecutors prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Why It Matters: Commercial driver licensing depends on verified training, testing and records. Those safeguards protect freight networks, public roads and the families traveling on them. When someone bypasses required training and skills tests, a CDL may not reflect the ability to safely operate a commercial vehicle. Imagine putting your child on a school bus without knowing whether its driver completed the training and testing required for that credential.

In my opinion, CFCO training could help transportation professionals recognize when a credential, record or verification process does not match the work behind it. Consistent verification creates friction before false documents become a larger safety problem.

Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink.

CHP finds $500K in stolen cargo tied to multiple Southern California thefts – FreightWaves

New Senate bill targets ‘chameleon carriers’ that reopen to escape penalties and enforcement – FreightWaves

7 smuggled migrants die in sealed rail container, 11 face life sentences – FreightWaves