U.S. Department
of Justice
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Press Release
Press Release
Eastern District of California Completes Prosecution of 20 Defendants in DMV Corruption Cases
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of California
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced today the completion of prosecutions of 20 defendants in a series of DMV corruption cases charged in the Eastern District of California. Charges against the defendants included bribery of public officials, identity fraud, unauthorized access of computers, and conspiracies to commit those offenses. The defendants included corrupt DMV employees who took bribes, trucking school owners and affiliates who bribed them, and others who participated in the conspiracies. The criminal activities charged in these cases took place throughout California, including the Central Valley, Los Angeles Basin, and as far north as Eureka.
Defendants helped put unqualified commercial drivers on the nation’s highways operating large commercial vehicles even though those drivers had not passed the necessary written and driving tests. DMV employees accepted bribes to enter fraudulent test scores for applicants who had not even taken the tests or who could not pass them. Various trucking schools in California looked for corrupt DMV employees they could bribe to help failing or unqualified students get their commercial licenses anyway. In total, hundreds of fraudulent commercial driver license permits and licenses were issued as a part of these schemes, jeopardizing public safety.
Every defendant charged in the cases has now been convicted and sentenced, except for one who passed away prior to trial. The convicted defendants and their sentences are:
|
Defendant’s Name |
Case Number |
Sentence |
|
Shawana Harris |
2:17-cr-210 TLN |
60 months |
|
Robert Turchin |
2:15-cr-161 WBS |
51 months |
|
Mangal Gill |
2:15-cr-161 WBS |
51 months |
|
Andrew Kimura |
2:15-cr-161 WBS |
46 months & $7,500 fine |
|
Lisa Terraciano |
2:17-cr-187 KJM |
40 months & $500 fine |
|
Jagpal Singh, aka “Paul” |
2:17-cr-210 TLN |
39 months |
|
Donald Freeman |
2:17-cr-207 KJM |
37 months |
|
David Sun |
2:17-cr-223 KJM |
37 months |
|
Kari Scattaglia |
2:17-cr-187 KJM |
32 months & $1,000 fine |
|
Rahim Mahboob |
2:17-cr-213 GEB |
27 months & $58,500 fine |
|
Damanpreet Singh |
2:18-cr-89 GEB |
24 months |
|
Emma Klem |
2:15-cr-139 GEB |
23 months |
|
Aaron Gilliam |
2:17-cr-200 KJM |
22 months |
|
Kulwinder Dosangh Singh, aka“Sandhu” and “Sodhi” |
2:15-cr-146 GEB |
19 months |
|
Juan Arturo Arroyo Gomez |
2:17-cr-207 KJM |
12 months |
|
Pavitar Dosangh Singh |
2:15-cr-161 WBS |
10 months |
|
Parminder Singh |
2:17-cr-210 TLN |
Time served with 11 months home confinement |
|
Poya Khanjan |
2:17-cr-212 JAM |
Time served with 6 months home confinement & $9,500 fine |
|
Ruvila “Ruby” Lima |
2:17-cr-212 JAM |
Time served & $500 fine |
|
Tajinder Singh |
2:17-cr-210 TLN |
Time served with 7 months home confinement & $5,500 fine |
Defendants Terraciano and Sun later had their sentences reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic under the CARES Act.
These cases were the product of an investigation by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Office of Internal Affairs; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rosanne L. Rust and Christopher S. Hales prosecuted the cases.
Updated November 14, 2022
Topic
Public Corruption
Component