Date: 08-21-2018

Case Style:

Case Number: 3:18-cr-00051-DPJ-LRA

Judge: Daniel P. Jordan III

Court: United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi (Hinds County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: Erin O'Leary Chalk

Defendant's Attorney: Kevin Camp

Description: Jackson, MS - Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Commercial Driver’s License Fraud

Benjamin James McGrigg, 43, of Jackson, pled guilty on August 17, 2018 before Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to commercial driver’s license fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General Regional Special Agent in Charge Marlies Gonzalez.

On March 5, 2018, McGrigg was charged in a five-count federal indictment charging conspiracy and making false and fraudulent material representations.

McGrigg previously worked for a company that provided training and certification to individuals seeking commercial driver’s licenses ("CDLs"). His employment only authorized certification to those that were students of the company. McGrigg provided paperwork to those whom wanted a CDL that were not students of his employer. McGrigg prepared the paperwork representing that the applicant had taken the road skills test, when in fact the applicant had not. This fraudulent paperwork would be given to an individual seeking to obtain a CDL in exchange for payment to McGrigg. Such fraudulent paperwork would be presented by these individuals to the Mississippi Department of Public Safety in order to secure a commercial driver’s license. A review of the commercial drivers’ paperwork in Mississippi showed that some of the applicants could not have achieved the results on the paperwork. Some Commercial Driver’s License holders were interviewed and said they had never taken the test and just paid McGrigg for the paperwork.

"This investigation demonstrates our commitment to protecting the efficacy of DOT’s commercial driver’s license regulations and advancing safety on the roads by ensuring that only qualified individuals obtain CDLs," stated Marlies Gonzalez, Regional Special Agent-In-Charge at U.S. DOT-OIG. "Working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue our vigorous efforts to prevent, detect and prosecute fraud schemes which endanger the traveling public."

McGrigg will be sentenced by Judge Jordan on November 16, 2018 at 9:15 a.m. He is facing a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the United States Department of Transportation-Office of Inspector General, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Charges:

CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE UNITED STATES
(1)
STATEMENTS OR ENTRIES GENERALLY
(4)
DESTRUCTION, ALTERATION OR FALSIFICATION OF RECORDS IN FEDERAL INVESTIGATIONS
(5)

Outcome: Guilty

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

Comments: