Summary

On July 8, 2014, Elizabeth "Betsy" Pope, owner of Eastgate Laboratory Testing (Eastgate), Loudon, Tennessee, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to mail fraud. Pope was previously indicted for mail fraud related to a scheme to defraud several Pittsburgh-area commercial motor carrier vehicle drivers and employers. Pope operated Eastgate Laboratory Testing, which conducted drug testing for commercial truck operations.

Our investigation revealed that Eastgate conducted drug testing for commercial vehicle operators and various trucking companies located in Pittsburgh. Eastgate served as a third party administrator to oversee the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulated testing. The indictment alleged that between 2008 and 2012, Pope used the signature of a medical review officer (MRO) who had not worked for Eastgate since June 2005 to certify test results. FMCSA and the commercial vehicle operators relied on the suspect drug test reports to demonstrate compliance with federal regulations.