Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025:
Three New York DMV employees among 7 charged in CDL testing scheme
Three New York State Department of Motor Vehicles employees are among seven people charged for allegedly engaging in a scheme to cheat on CDL exams and process permits for “no-show” applicants. The charges were announced by Nassau County (New York) District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly and New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang
Former DMV Supervisor Kanaisha Middleton, 33; motor vehicle representative Tawanna Whitfield, 36; motor vehicle representative Satoya Mitchell, 35; and Kanaisha Middleton’s sister, Jamie Middleton, 35, were arraigned on indictment charges of:
- Impairing the Integrity of a Government Licensing Examination (a Class D felony)
- Corrupting the Government in the Fourth Degree (Class E felony)
- Tampering with Public Records in the First Degree (Class D felony)
- Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree (Class E felony)
- Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree (Class A misdemeanor)
Additionally, CDL permit applicants James Nurse, 42; Omesh Mohan, 42; and Rene Sarduy, 44, were also charged in the indictment with Tampering with Public Records in the First Degree and Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree.
If convicted, all the defendants face a maximum sentence of 2 years and 4 months to 7 years in prison.
“This scheme was an unbelievable organized breach of public trust and the trust of millions of drivers using Long Island’s roads,” District Attorney Donnelly said. “A ring of DMV employees who, working together, allegedly manipulated the commercial driver’s license exam process, allowing no-show applicants to cheat the system and skip their tests -- giving them CDL permits that they did not earn and were not qualified to hold.”
Donnelly added that at least one applicant, who was a Sanitation Department employee for the town of Hempstead, “was issued a full CDL license which he used to operate recycling trucks in our neighborhoods.”
According to the indictment and investigation, the allegations were first reported to the New York State Inspector General’s Office from a supervisor in the Garden City branch of the DMV who alleged that employees were processing CDL permit applications without applicants sitting for the required tests at the DMV location.
According to the investigation and surveillance video obtained from DMV, on six separate dates between March 2023 and September 2023, Jamie Middleton, sister of DMV supervisor Kanaisha Middleton, allegedly approached DMV employees dressed in various disguises and purported to be different CDL and class D permit applicants seeking to take the exams. She was allegedly dressed in baggy clothing, facemasks, construction jackets and fake facial hair when she approached DMV employees to gain access to the testing room.
On each of the dates, Jamie Middleton was allegedly given access to the testing room by motor vehicle representatives Whitfield and Mitchell, despite Jamie Middleton’s appearance not matching the identification and DMV records for the applicants for whom she was posing.
On May 23, 2023, Jamie Middleton allegedly took exams for two applicants -- Sarduy and Mohan -- less than five minutes apart and wearing the exact same clothing. Mohan and Sarduy allegedly both went to different DMV locations in Springfield Gardens and Bethpage in the following days to provide their paperwork and obtain their interim permits.
The DMV requires that each CDL interim permit holder also pass a specified CDL road test in order to obtain their CDL license. Both Mohan and Sarduy were never issued full licenses and the investigation determined that Mohan in fact failed the CDL road test.
Jamie Middleton allegedly took nine CDL exams in this period and passed the test eight times for seven applicants. Six of those applicants were never issued full CDL licenses.
Nurse received an interim permit on Aug. 16, 2023, at the Massapequa branch of the DMV after Jamie Middleton allegedly took his exam two days before in Garden City. Nurse was issued a full CDL license on Sept. 28, 2023, and the DA’s investigation revealed that the defendant later used his illegally obtained CDL license to drive recycling trucks for the Sanitation Department.
Another bill takes aim at non-domiciled CDLs
In what’s becoming a common occurrence of late, another lawmaker has introduced a bill related to non-domiciled CDL issuance.
Rep. David Rouzer (R-North Carolina) introduced HR 5688, dubbed the Non-Domiciled CDL Integrity Act, on Oct. 3. The bill, if passed, would codify standards for how states issue CDLs to foreign nationals.
Under the requirements prescribed in the bill, states can issue a CDL to a driver domiciled in a foreign jurisdiction if:
- The individual has lawful immigration status in the United States
- The individual possesses a visa determined by the DOT Secretary to be directly connected to a legitimate, employment-based reason to hold a CDL
- The state confirms the applicant's lawful immigration status before issuing, transferring, renewing, or upgrading a license
- The state issues a license for a time period of up to 1 year or until the expiration of the applicant's authorized stay in the United States, whichever is shorter
- The state retains records related to the issuance of a license for at least 2 years or for a period of time as otherwise prescribed by the Secretary and, within 48 hours of a request, provides such records to the Secretary
The bill currently has four co-sponsors and has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Rouzer’s bill is just the latest of several introduced in recent months related to non-domiciled CDLs. Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) recently introduced a bill that would codify new DOT rules around obtaining and maintaining a CDL for foreign nationals. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Florida) introduced a bill in September that would ensure states are following President Donald Trump’s executive order related to English language proficiency requirements and review CDLs for irregularities during checks at weigh stations. In June, a bill was introduced by Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) would require that all CDL applicants be tested on their ability to read and understand traffic signs, communicate in English with law enforcement, and provide and receive feedback and directions in English.
ATHS set to induct four new Hall of Fame members
The American Truck Historical Society (ATHS) has announced the next group of inductees into its American Trucking and Industry Leader (ATIL) Hall of Fame.
ATHS will celebrate four pioneers who shaped the trucking industry at its 2025 ATIL Induction Ceremony, set for Wednesday, Oct. 22, at ATHS headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. This year’s event is proudly sponsored by Autocar Trucks.
This year’s Hall of Fame inductees include:
- Roy Carver, founder of Bandag, Inc. -- In 1957 in Muscatine, Iowa, Carver built the company into the largest commercial tire retread operation in North America. The company went public a decade later and was acquired by Bridgestone in 2007.
- Lewis Semple Clarke, co-founder of The Autocar Company -- He pioneered key automotive innovations like the left-handed steering wheel and shaft drive. His leadership helped shape early American cars and left a lasting legacy of engineering ingenuity.
- Father-son duo Joseph A. Morten and Joseph W. Morten, founders of Great West Casualty Company -- The Mortens set new standards in trucker-focused insurance with expert service and innovation, becoming a leader in motor carrier coverage.
The ATIL Hall of Fame ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 22. A truck display will accompany the event.
