Summary

On August 11, in U.S. District Court, Tampa, Florida, Yolanda Pippins pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to accept bribes in exchange for the issuance of fraudulent commercial driver's licenses (CDL). Our investigation disclosed that Pippins, an employee of the Florida Division of Motor Vehicles, whose responsibility was to monitor applicants for CDL and ensure their qualifications before the issuance of a CDL, used her employment to fraudulently issue CDLs to individuals who did not have the requisite training and documentation to support their qualifications. The endorsement permitted drivers to operate commercial vehicles, which include large vehicles, vehicles designed for the transportation of large numbers of persons, and any vehicle transporting hazardous materials. Pippins admitted to accepting between $100 and $200 per fraudulent commercial driver's license and to issuing between 50 and 80 fraudulent licenses.