Money that was supposed to go to the state of Oklahoma for truck tag fees apparently ended up instead in the pockets of registration agents and state employees.
The Daily Oklahoman reports that a former trucking company agent admitted that he and a state Tax Commission employee cheated the state out of $100,000 in tag fees, then split the money.
Ronnie E. Cantwell Jr. said the trucking company paid $176,000 for its tags, but former Tax Commission auditor Billy Bruce Baber reworked the estimated mileage on the bill so only $76,000 went to the Tax Commission. The $100,000 was split between Cantwell, Baber, Cantwell’s boss and another Tax Commission employee. At the time, Cantwell was working for Expert Prorating, an Oklahoma City registration company.
Cantwell’s admission came during a bail hearing for Baber, who is accused of making a death threat to prevent Cantwell from spilling the beans about their scheme. Baber resigned earlier this month.
The grand jury that indicted Baber is in the midst of a secret investigation of alleged bribery at the Tax Commission. It is believed that trucking agents paid Tax Commission employees to falsify documents so truckers could get cheaper tags.
The Daily Oklahoman reports that a former trucking company agent admitted that he and a state Tax Commission employee cheated the state out of $100,000 in tag fees, then split the money.
Ronnie E. Cantwell Jr. said the trucking company paid $176,000 for its tags, but former Tax Commission auditor Billy Bruce Baber reworked the estimated mileage on the bill so only $76,000 went to the Tax Commission. The $100,000 was split between Cantwell, Baber, Cantwell’s boss and another Tax Commission employee. At the time, Cantwell was working for Expert Prorating, an Oklahoma City registration company.
Cantwell’s admission came during a bail hearing for Baber, who is accused of making a death threat to prevent Cantwell from spilling the beans about their scheme. Baber resigned earlier this month.
The grand jury that indicted Baber is in the midst of a secret investigation of alleged bribery at the Tax Commission. It is believed that trucking agents paid Tax Commission employees to falsify documents so truckers could get cheaper tags.
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