A local driving instructor has admitted to his role in a scheme that put untested and potentially dangerous drivers on the road, officials said. Ngan Dinh, 48, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud in a case that exposed a corruption conduit at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Dinh was accused of paying off a road test examiner to give passing marks to drivers who didn't even bother to take the test, let alone pass it. This fraudulent arrangement led to the RMV unknowingly mailing out licenses to these unqualified applicants, a risky business for every unsuspecting motorist sharing the streets with them. The charge against Dinh carries a heavy potential penalty, with up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine that could reach $250,000; as the Department of Justice reported.
The guilty plea was entered before U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris, who has set the sentencing hearing for June 5. Dinh's admission paints a grim picture of the systems we rely on for safety and integrity being undermined for personal gain.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, along with officials from Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General, announced the case's progression following Dinh's plea, signaling a continued effort to uphold the law and the public trust. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Wichers and Adam W. Deitch of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecution Unit are on the prosecutorial front-lines, tasked with the sobering duty of turning over the stones of corruption to reveal these disturbing machinations beneath.
