Illinois, Michigan caught up in CDL scandals

CHICAGO — Six people, including two former supervisors at a suburban Chicago driver’s licensing facility, have been charged with selling commercial driver’s licenses to roughly 400 unqualified applicants, the Associated Press reported.

Federal prosecutors in Illinois said from 1991 to 1998, the six defendants took bribes of up to $1200 per licence.

In Michigan, government officials are investigating a private driver’s licence exam centre in Novi, Mich., accused of selling driver’s licenses. Owners the centre, Titanus Cement Wall Co., are co-operating with the investigation, but their exam office will be closed until the probe is complete. Investigators seized the company’s records and shut it down in December.

Titanus co-owner Phillip Vincenti said David Mills, a state-certified driving examiner who worked for the company, told him Dec. 23 that he had sold fake exam papers. Eight days later, after Mills had been questioned by investigators, he committed suicide.

Mills’ ex-wife, Holley, said he told her late last year he sold 40 bogus truck driver and automobile exam papers. She said he told her that the truck documents were sold for $400 each, and fake auto road-test exams with a passing grade went for $45.

Anyone proven to have a license obtained illegally will lose the license and be prosecuted, Boyd said. Filing a fraudulent license application is a five-year felony.