The wheels of justice have ground to a halt for a former Philadelphia CDL school owner, now facing 57 months behind bars for greasing palms in a dangerous license scam. Vladimir Tsymbalenko, 53, was socked with a near five-year prison term Monday after he confessed to paying off a Commercial Driver's License examiner to look the other way while his unqualified students snagged CDL certifications, representing a perilous bypass of safety protocols on our roads.
Not content to simply rig the system for those aiming to legally drive big rigs, Tsymbalenko also attempted to, indirectly, obstruct justice by asking a witness to lie. His October 11 guilty plea covered both the bribery count and the witness tampering, a sordid affair that ultimately backfired. The sentencing, delivered by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl, also slapped a $5,000 fine on top of the prison stint and included three years' supervised release.
In a public denouncement, U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero made clear the stakes of such corruption: "The last thing anyone should want on our roads are people behind the wheel of big rigs or school buses with bogus CDL certifications," she said, according to a Department of Justice statement. "Licensure standards are intended to ensure that someone has the training and skills needed to safely move these huge vehicles and their cargo — human or otherwise — from Point A to Point B."
The case was cracked wide open with the concerted efforts of multiple agencies, a testament to the collaborative spirit required to keep such schemes from undermining the safety of the masses. Representative authorities included the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and the Pennsylvania State Police. DOT-OIG's Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Scharf underscored their commitment "to pursuing individuals in the motor carrier industry who are willing to compromise the safety of the traveling public for personal gain," signaling a clear warning to any would-be offenders, according to the Department of Justice.
Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia, Wayne A. Jacobs, reinforced the message, asserting that corruption will not be tolerated. "The FBI will continue to work alongside our federal, state and local partners to pursue those who orchestrate these fraudulent schemes which undermine the integrity of these licenses," Jacobs told reporters, according to a Department of Justice statement. This signals an ongoing crusade against those who trade in deceit at the public's expense.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney K.T. Newton, capping off a thorough investigation that has now parked Tsymbalenko in federal prison and put a stop sign on similar frauds for years to come.
