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Jan 1, 2002 12:00 PM

Two men have pleaded guilty in a United States District Court in Illinois to helping people buy commercial driver licenses (CDLs) illegally in Florida, according to the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General (OIG).

Lech Rzedzian of Wheeling IL pleaded guilty Nov 16, 2001, in Chicago IL. He was accused of helping at least 30 people obtain CDLs, paying bribes to a Florida truck driving school instructor, and charging customers as much as $2,000 in exchange for copies of the Florida CDL exam, according to OIG information.

An instructor, Mark Winniczek of Tampa FL, also pleaded guilty to charges of helping at least 1,000 truckers nationwide illegally obtain CDLs in Florida. Winniczek admitted collecting between $800 and $1,300 from applicants in exchange for referring them to a state-certified CDL examiner, who would give them passing grades in exchange for $200. No sentencing date has been set for either man, according to OIG.