A massive network of criminals masterminded a scheme to give driver’s licenses to unqualified people who never even took a road test, all in exchange for money, Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon said on Tuesday.
In the shocking corruption case, 14 defendants were indicted, including government employees, a NYC driving school, test-taking impostors, and people who paid to get their licenses without earning them.
Among those indicted were Edward Queen, Wen Feng Yang, Wei Xian Tan, and Weiwen Tan, along with Queens-based T&E Driving School, who were indicted in state Supreme Court on July 1 for allegedly “impairing the integrity of a government licensing examination.”
They face a slew of charges ranging from tampering with public records, offering a false instrument for filing, falsifying business records and identity theft.
According to the long-term investigation, led by the Staten Island DA and the NYS Inspector General, people who were not qualified to drive paid others to take their tests, and Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) road-test givers on Staten Island knew all about it.
Public safety and ‘potential threat to homeland security’
Per the investigation, NYS motor vehicle examiners accepted cash in exchange for falsifying the results of “countless” road test examinations – or in many cases, allowing individuals to bypass the testing process altogether.
In some cases, even the prerequisite learner’s permit was fraudulently obtained, McMahon said.
“The consequences of these actions are grave,” he said. “Countless individuals are now driving on our roads without ever having demonstrated the basic skills necessary to do so safely.”
Additionally, McMahon said, the implications of the crime go beyond the roads and become an issue for national security.
“Let me be clear, this was not a victimless crime,” he said. “This has created a public safety crisis, putting innocent lives at risk each day. Moreover, every fraudulently obtained license represents not only a danger on the roads, but also a potential threat to homeland security, as a state-issued ID can be used to access buildings, board planes and commit a host of other potential illicit acts.”
State employees ‘sold out’ their oaths of office
NYS Inspector General Lucy Lang called the case a “shocking betrayal” of public trust.
“The state employees indicted here sold out not just the safety of their fellow New Yorkers, but they sold out their oaths of office,” she said.
Meanwhile, DMV Commissioner Mark Schroader said in a statement that the agency “appreciates” the work of those involved in the case.
“We applaud our employees who assisted authorities throughout the investigation,” he said. “Their actions were critical in bringing this case forward. 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.”
In a New York Post article, McMahon said the indictments could be just the “tip of the iceberg,” adding that an individual examiner can give about 1,500 tests a year.
The Post article added that the defendants were released, as the charges are not eligible for bail. They were ordered to surrender their passports.
