Summary

On October 7, 2015, LaToya Bourne was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Brooklyn, New York, to 3 years probation for her role in a Commercial Driver's License (CDL)  test-taking fraud scheme.

Previously she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Honest Services Mail Fraud. Her guilty plea on January 21, was in connection with this  widespread fraudulent CDL test-taking scheme in New York State. In total, eleven individuals were indicted in October 2013, including Bourne.

The investigation revealed that fraudulent CDL test-taking activities occurred at five known Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) test centers in the New York City area. Surveillance operations, including the use of remote observation posts and pole-cameras, identified the defendants participating in the fraud scheme, including New York State DMV security personnel, an external test-taker, facilitators, "runners", and lookouts. Conspiring CDL applicants paid facilitators between $1,800-$2,500 in return for CDL exam answers and escort assistance through DMV processes. Fraud schemes included the use of pencils containing miniaturized encoded test answers, the use of a Bluetooth headset as a communication device to relay CDL test answers, and the use of an external test-taker positioned nearby to take the exams. Bourne was employed as a security guard at NYS-DMV locations in Manhattan, New York.

We are conducting this investigation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, New York City Police Department, New York State (NYS) DMV Investigations, NYS - Attorney General's Office, and the NYS - Inspector General's Office.