HSI Arrests Massachusetts Driving School Owner Charged with Conspiracy to Defraud RMV

BOSTON — A Brockton man was arrested May 17 by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents on charges that he bribed a road test examiner to issue driver’s licenses to individuals who did not pass or even take road tests at the Registry of Motor Vehicles in Brockton.

Carlos Cardoso, 70, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Boston on five counts of honest services mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud. He appeared in federal court May 17.

According to the indictment, Cardoso, the owner of a driving school, paid cash bribes totaling between $20,000 and $30,000 to a road test examiner at the Brockton Registry of Motor Vehicles service center to misrepresent that certain driver’s license applicants had passed their road test when, in fact, they had not. It is alleged that some of the applicants did not even show up to take the test. As a result of the fraud, the Registry of Motor Vehicles mailed driver’s licenses to unqualified applicants.

The charge of honest services mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. sentencing guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy, HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Region Christopher A. Scharf made the announcement.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

This investigation was led by HSI’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Forces (DBFTF). The DBFTF targets and dismantles transnational criminal organizations and individuals that threaten U.S. national security and public safety. HSI identifies sources of identity and benefit fraud, including document manufacturers, thieves, brokers, and even sponsors, attorneys and other U.S.-based people who enable criminals to apply for benefits. HSI works with its partners to address gaps and vulnerabilities in our systems to prevent criminals from committing these crimes.