A former certified third-party tester for the Michigan Secretary of State recently pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Detroit to making false statements related to certificates he issued for applicants of commercial drivers licenses. Kenneth MacKay submitted his plea on Feb. 24, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General.
A federal investigation found that, between the summers of 2000 and 2002, MacKay conspired with the now out-of-business proprietors of A&K Truck Driving School to falsely certify students as qualified on driving and skills tests. According to OIG, MacKay admitted to facilitating more than 25 CDL and other license exams in exchange for payment of $100 per certificate; in some cases, MacKay never saw the students he certified.
MSOS records indicate that more than 900 individuals received licenses through MacKay’s certificates and have required retesting in order to retain Michigan licenses; the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has followed up on those license holders who subsequently moved to about 26 different states. The ongoing investigation is being conducted jointly with the FBI and Internal Revenue Service, with assistance from MSOS and FMCSA.
