Summary

On December 15, 2015, Thomas Lindsey was sentenced to one year probation in U.S. District Court, Greenville, SC, for making false statements related to the unauthorized administering of commercial driver’s license (CDL) tests.

Lindsey was approved by the State of South Carolina as a third party tester, solely for the administration of CDL testing to employees of the North Spartanburg Fire Department (NSFD). However, he administered CDL tests to drivers who were not employed by the NSFD. Additionally, he did not require all drivers to perform vehicle pre-trip inspections, basic controls or road tests, and utilized unapproved locations to conduct required testing. Lindsey collected fees from each individual to whom he administered the unauthorized CDL tests, and instructed drivers to deliver the fraudulently prepared skills test forms to multiple SC Department of Motor Vehicles licensing facilities.

DOT-OIG conducted this investigation with assistance from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles - Office of Inspector General.