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TRENTON
– Attorney General Anne Milgram and
Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni
announced that a former testing supervisor
for the Motor Vehicle Commission who worked
in the Cardiff Motor Vehicle Agency was indicted
today on charges he took bribes to falsify
test results to allow drivers to pass the
written driver’s test.
According
to Director Gramiccioni, Drake A. Williams,
47, of Egg Harbor Township, was indicted by
a state grand jury on charges of conspiracy,
official misconduct and bribery, all in the
second degree.
The
indictment alleges that between Jan. 1, 2007
and May 1, 2008, Williams took cash payments
from customers in return for fraudulently
issuing passing grades to them on the MVC’s
written driver examination. He allegedly accepted
payments of $50 to $200 per customer. Brokers
allegedly steered customers to Williams, who
administered the test to them on paper, rather
than by computer as is standard. Williams
falsified the results for customers who could
not speak English adequately or could not
pass the test for other reasons. He was arrested
on May 1, 2008.
The
investigation was conducted by Detective Michael
LaRosa and Detective Sgt. Mark Wilhelm of
the New Jersey State Police Auto Unit - Document
Fraud Squad, and Investigator Philip Foley
of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
Deputy Attorney General Christine A. Hoffman
presented the case to the state grand jury
for the Division of Criminal Justice Major
Crimes Bureau - MVC Unit.
The
indictment was handed up to Superior Court
Judge Maria Marinari Sypek in Mercer County,
who assigned the case to Atlantic County,
where Williams will be ordered to appear in
court at a later date to answer the charges.
The indictment is merely an accusation and
the defendant is presumed innocent until proven
guilty.
Second-degree
crimes carry a maximum sentence of 10 years
in prison and a $150,000 fine, while third-degree
crimes carry a maximum sentence of five years
in prison and a $15,000 fine.
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