Stockton DMV Arrest



Stockton Residents Sentenced for DMV Licensing Scheme

A case investigated by California DMV Investigators

SACRAMENTO – On August 1, 2019, two Stockton residents were sentenced to prison for their roles in a scheme that helped those applying for commercial driver licenses to pass written tests that they either failed, or never took at all.

Donald Earl Freeman Jr., 26, an employee at the DMV’s Tracy branch, was sentenced to three years and one month in prison.  Juan Arturo Arroyo Gomez, 32, was sentenced to one year in prison.

“The actions of these two individuals put the motoring public at risk and posed a threat to national security,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “It also put a stain on the honest, law abiding employees at DMV, who work to maintain the integrity of our driver licenses, ID cards and the testing of individuals who wish to drive on California roadways.”

In December 2017, Freeman and Arroyo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery, identity fraud, and unauthorized access to a computer for accepting bribes to change test scores in the computers of the California DMV.

As an employee at the DMV, Freeman was responsible for processing applications for California commercial driver licenses (CDLs). Such CDLs permit the license holders to drive passenger buses or to operate tractor-trailer trucks on California and interstate highways, including, in some cases, hauling hazardous materials. Arroyo was a broker in the scheme and solicited truck driving students to pay him to assist them in obtaining driving permits.

According to court documents, in exchange for money from Arroyo and other brokers, Freeman accessed the DMV’s database in Sacramento to alter the records of applicants to fraudulently show that the applicants had passed the required written tests when the applicants had not passed the tests or, at times, even taken the written tests. In so doing, this caused the DMV to issue permits to those drivers, as well as completed CDLs upon the applicants passing the behind-the-wheel driving tests.

According to their plea agreements, Freeman caused no less than 123 fraudulent permits to be issued, including at least 13 at the request of, and in exchange for payment from, Arroyo.

This case was the product of an investigation by the California Department of Motor Vehicles Office of Internal Affairs and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Rosanne L. Rust prosecuted the case.



is the Shift vehicle preparation fee legal ???

Shift , a used car dealer in San Francisco
charges a fee of up to $ 1500. per vehicle and calls it a vehicle preparation fee
this vehicle preparation fee is unlawful and beyond fees dealers are allowed to charge any buyer
this fee should be included in the net selling price of the vehicle
and is of course taxable
it appears Shift adds this fee to every purchase they complete
and
it appears they are not collecting the correct sales tax
*******

perhaps the DMV needs to look a little closer at used car sales startup Shift

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Good Car Company ???

California attorney general accuses prominent Sacramento car dealer Paul Blanco of fraud

Becerra has been investigating the dealership’s practices for two years, officials said, and is seeking a permanent injunction against the alleged practices and restitution. He asked any car buyers who feel they were victims of the alleged practices to call the attorney general’s complaint line at 1-800-952-5225.

Buyers Guide Fine

What If I Don’t Comply?

Dealers who violate the Used Car Rule may be subject to penalties of up to $42,530 per violation in FTC enforcement actions. Many states have laws or regulations that are similar to the Used Car Rule. Some states incorporate the Used Car Rule by reference in their state laws. As a result, state and local law enforcement officials may have the authority to ensure that dealers post Buyers Guides and to fine them or sue them if they do not comply.