Summary

PoBoy Services, Inc., a commercial tow-truck company in Mobile, AL, was placed in a pretrial diversion program by a U.S. District Court judge in Biloxi, MS for conspiracy and falsification of Commercial Drivers License examinations. PoBoy, four of its employees and a CDL examiner for Mississippi’s Department of Public Safety were indicted in January 2001. CDL Examiner Michael T. Schonewitz pleaded guilty June 4, along with his codefendants, to charges of giving the four PoBoy employees -- Arthur A. Millar, Jr., Ronald W. Smiedala, Frederick F. Hooks and Timothy W. Bolton -- passing scores on the Federally required CDL examination. Bolton was also charged with fraudulently taking a vision test for Hooks, who had a visual impairment preventing him from legally obtaining a CDL. Under the agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, the charges against PoBoy will be dropped if the company does not violate any local, state or Federal laws during its 24 month probationary period and pays $14,000 to the Alabama Chapter of the National Safety Council. The other defendants were sentenced August 31. OIG investigated this case with the FBI, Mississippi State authorities, and the Alabama Highway Patrol. FMCSA also provided technical assistance and support.