Two more people have pleaded guilty to charges in a widespread fraudulent Commercial Driver's License test-taking scheme in New York State, following a joint federal and state investigation.

On Jan. 26, Firdavs Mamadaliev pleaded guilty to identification documents fraud while on Feb. 2, Akmal Narzikulov pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, New York, according to the Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Transportation Department.

Eleven individuals were indicted in October 2013, including Mamadaliev and Narzikulov, after an investigation revealed that fraudulent CDL test-taking activities occurred at five known New York State Department of Motor Vehicles test centers in the New York City area.

Surveillance operations, including the use of remote observation posts and pole-cameras, identified the defendants participating in the fraud scheme, including New York State DMV security personnel, an external test-taker, facilitators, "runners", and "lookouts."

Conspiring CDL applicants allegedly paid facilitators between $1,800 to $2,500 in return for CDL exam answers and escort assistance through DMV processes. Fraud schemes included the use of pencils containing miniaturized encoded test answers, the use of a Bluetooth headset as a communication device to relay CDL test answers, and the use of an external test-taker positioned nearby to take the exams.

Mamadaliev was utilized as a "lookout" by one of the key facilitators at the DMV facilities and Narzikulov was identified as a key facilitator in the test-cheating scheme, according to the Office of Inspector General.

On Jan. 21 two other indicted individual pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme while they worked as security guards. This followed pleas from three other people earlier in the month, including a couple who operated a commercial driving school in Brooklyn.

 

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