Two men plead guilty in fraudulent CDL scams

Nov 30, 2001 12:00 PM

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

Lech Rzedzian of Wheeling, IL pleaded guilty November 16 in Chicago, Illinois. 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 the OIG information.

An instructor, Mark Winniczek of Tampa, Florida, also pleaded guilty in to charges of helping at least 1,000 truckers from around the country illegally obtain their 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.