USAO, Eastern District of Pennsylvania - Press Release

Summary

On February 6, 2012, D.A. Landis Trucking, Inc., a Lancaster, Pennsylvania company, and its owner Dean A. Landis, age 45, of Willow Street, Pennsylvania, were charged by information in the U.S. District Court, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on criminal charges of conspiracy and making false statements.   The information alleged that Landis directed at least ten D.A. Landis Trucking, Inc., commercial truck drivers to prepare and maintain false and fraudulent driver daily logbooks, which the defendants knew to be false and fraudulent during the period from January 2007 to November 2009.   

According to the information, the defendants routinely disregarded Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations by allowing, encouraging, and causing commercial truck drivers employed by D.A. Landis, Inc. to operate in violation of FMCSA "hours of service" safety regulations.  It is alleged that defendants instructed employees of the company to prepare two sets of driver's logs, one of which was false and intended for FMCSA inspectors to conceal violations of safety regulations.  Drivers were allegedly instructed to complete false "Daily Trip Sheets" in which the drivers falsely entered on-duty and off-duty times and falsely certified to the truthfulness and accuracy of the logbook entries.  It is also alleged that the defendants dispatched company drivers on trips they knew required excessive hours of driving time and excessive hours of "on-duty" time, without allowing the required hours of rest or regulated "off-duty" time.  During the execution of a search warrant of the company, federal agents seized numerous business records to include an extensive collection of logbooks and documents marked "Not For DOT".  

Note:  Indictments, informations, and criminal complaints are only accusations by the Government.  All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.