Summary

On October 16, 2012, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Joseph L. Rigby, Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS), Highway Patrol , Director, Driver Services, and Rene Morris, former clerk, DPS, were sentenced in U.S. District Court, Jackson, Mississippi, for their involvement in a commercial driver's license (CDL) testing scheme.  Mr. Rigby was sentenced to serve three years of probation; fined $3,000 and assessed a fee of $25.00. Morris was ordered to serve two years of probation; fined $1,000 and assessed a fee of $25.00. 

Our investigation disclosed that Mr. Rigby, Mr. Morris, and several Mississippi State troopers assisted commercial driver's license (CDL) applicants by creating false CDL test scores.  This enabled applicants to obtain CDLs and operational hazardous materials and passenger endorsements, without meeting the required minimum state and federal testing mandates.  Additionally, troopers altered CDL driver records to reduce speeding infractions to lesser offenses and altered guilty judicial adjudications on drivers' records to prevent drivers from receiving judgments or license suspensions.  OIG is currently working with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and DPS to correct altered driver records identified during this investigation. 

This investigation was conducted jointly with the FBI and Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from FMCSA.