Investigations

On August 4, Joseph Cohen and Elan Bitton, both Israeli nationals residing in Florida, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Miami, FL to a one-count charge of conspiracy to the unlawful production of driver's licenses (DLs) and commercial driver's licenses (CDLs). Our investigation found that Cohen served as a middleman, receiving $1,500 from Bitton (who sought to obtain a Florida CDL for which he was ineligible) and directing him to Marta Pinto, a license examiner for the Florida Division of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Pinto received between $700 and $1,000 for processing approximately 100 DLs and CDLs, including Bitton's. Pinto pled guilty on July 26, 2006. Cohen, Bitton, and Pinto are scheduled for sentencing on October 4. This ongoing investigation is being conducted jointly with the FBI and DHS/ICE, with assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol.