Three Plead Guilty in Bribery Scheme That Enabled Over 100 Fraudulent Commercial Driver’s Licenses

Three people pleaded guilty July 29 for their roles in a bribery scheme that allowed more than 100 applicants to fraudulently obtain commercial driver’s licenses in Louisiana.

Mahmoud Alhattab, Jonathan Parsons and Marline Roberts each pleaded guilty to one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Alhattab, a local restaurant owner, admitted to leading the scheme and charging applicants an average of approximately $5,000 for CDLs they had not earned. Prosecutors said the operation allowed applicants to bypass federally required knowledge testing, entry-level driver training and skills testing.

According to court documents, Alhattab bribed two employees at the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles in Donaldsonville. He would send an employee a photograph of an applicant’s driver’s license and identify any requested endorsements, including school bus endorsements.

The OMV employee would then enter correct answers for the applicant’s knowledge test. Alhattab later brought the applicant to the office, where the employee issued a commercial learner’s permit based on the falsified results.

Alhattab admitted paying the employees cash and providing them with meals. The employees also allowed him and applicants to enter through a non-public entrance. On some occasions, Alhattab operated the OMV camera used to photograph applicants.

Prosecutors said Alhattab also bribed operators of commercial driving schools to falsely report that applicants had completed required training. Parsons, who operated a driver-training business, admitted entering false information into a federal database for applicants who had received no training.

Parsons was also certified by Louisiana to administer CDL skills tests. He admitted falsely reporting that applicants passed those tests when they had not taken them.

Early in the scheme, Alhattab sometimes posed as an applicant and operated a commercial vehicle to make it appear that Parsons was conducting a legitimate test. Prosecutors said Parsons later began entering passing results without either Alhattab or the applicant appearing at the testing location.

Roberts, another certified examiner, admitted creating false score sheets on seven occasions in early 2023 to support Parsons’ fraudulent test reports.

Court documents also indicate that some applicants had limited English proficiency. In one exchange described by prosecutors, Alhattab told an OMV employee that an applicant was waiting outside to receive a CDL and wrote, “No English.”

Alhattab admitted that the scheme caused at least 124 people to fraudulently obtain CDLs between August 2020 and February 2024. Parsons admitted providing false training or skills-test records for at least 118 applicants during the same period.

Each defendant faces up to 10 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 28.

Other defendants named in the indictment are awaiting trial and are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The FBI and U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General investigated the case with assistance from the Louisiana State Office of Inspector General and Louisiana Public Safety Services.