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Brockton driving school owner pleads guilty to RMV scheme, paying more than $20K in bribes
A 71-year-old man pleaded guilty Wednesday, June 11, in federal court in Boston to charges he bribed a Brockton Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) road test examiner to issue drivers licenses to people who did not pass — or some cases even take — their road test, the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney's office announced in a written statement.
Carlos Cardoso, 71, of Brockton, pleaded guilty to one count each of honest services mail fraud and conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud, the U.S. Attorney's office wrote.
Cardoso was the owner of a driving school when he paid more than $20,000 in cash bribes to a road test examiner at the Brockton RMV service center to misrepresent or manufacture road test scores, causing the RMV to mail drivers licenses to thousands of unqualified individuals, the U.S Attorney's office said.
Honest mail services fraud and conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud provides for a prison sentence of up to 20 years each.
Cardoso is scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 11, 2025.
On Feb. 15, 2022, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) reported that the RMV had determined 2,100 drivers were given road test passing scores by two road test examiners at the Brockton Service Center without taking the road test.
The state sent letters to those customers who did not complete the road test and notified them that they would be required to take and pass a road test within 10 days. Those who did not take the road test within 10 days would have their licenses suspended.
Of the 1,074 road tests conducted for the more than 2,000 drivers involved, 381 people passed their exam while 693 failed, according to reporting by WCVB.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Driving school owner pleads guilty to Brockton RMV bribery scheme
