Our California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) members who are Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) investigators are seeing the end results of their investigation into two schemes involving California driver licenses.
Former DMV Senior Motor Vehicle Technician Alfonso Casarez, 51, of Fresno was sentenced this week to five years and one month in prison for his involvement in both conspiracies to sell drivers licenses to people who had not passed the written and behind-the-wheel tests.
"This man put public safety at risk," said Kenneth Ehrman, DMV investigator and president of the Association of Motor Vehicles Investigators of California (AMVIC). "Not just out on the roadway, this was a major security issue that could have lead to identity theft, financial fraud, even terrorist acts."
The investigation into the schemes lead to the arrests of 15 people. Casarez's sister was also convicted in the conspiracy and sentenced to four years in prison. She took money from people who wanted Class C or Class A commercial driver licenses and forwarded money and information to Casarez who then altered records at the DMV to show the ineligible individuals had passed written and behind-the-wheel tests and should be issued a license.
"The work of our DMV investigators goes unnoticed by most Californians," said CSLEA President Alan Barcelona. "They are highly trained peace officers who are called upon by nearly every law enforcement agency in the state. This was a case in which they worked with U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) and Homeland Security and 15 dishonest people who put the public at risk were charged with criminal offenses. That's a job well done."
