The bustling streets of New York City, already notorious for their congestion and potential hazards, are now allegedly being navigated by illegal Chinese immigrants with limited English proficiency and driving skills.
This alarming situation is reportedly due to a large-scale scheme involving a driving school and purportedly corrupt Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) employees.
In a press conference held on Tuesday, Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations George Ioannidis, and several other state and federal officials announced a series of arrests linked to an investigation known as Operation Road Test.
As reported by The Blaze, the investigation centers around T&E Driving School in Queens, which is accused of exploiting social media to target residents who speak Fujianese, a Chinese dialect.
The school's clientele, primarily noncitizen Chinese individuals, were allegedly charged between $1,600 and $2,000 for a driver's license or learner's permit. It is claimed that the school's staff would then take the necessary driver's test on behalf of the client, and DMV employees were purportedly bribed to issue documents and manipulate the database.
Ricky Patel, Homeland Security Investigations New York Special Agent in Charge, stated, "As alleged, the defendants utilized deceptive social media practices and strategic advertising that targeted and exploited members of the Chinese community and guaranteed individuals drivers licenses regardless of immigration status, language, and even their ability to actually operate a vehicle." George Ioannidis added, "Our investigation found that T&E Driving School blatantly flouted the laws and procedures that are necessary to ensure the public safety on the road."
The investigation has so far resulted in the arrest of two dozen individuals associated with Operation Road Test. Among those charged are T&E owner Weixan Tan, 38; T&E secretary Weiwan Tan, 40; and another T&E employee, Winnie Yang, 36. Also indicted are Wenfeng Yang, 38, who is alleged to have taken driving tests for T&E clients, and DMV employees Edward Tarik Queen, 40; Aji Idicula, 43; and Tianna Rose Andolina, 30.
New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang expressed her disappointment, stating, "The state employees indicted here sold out not just the safety of their fellow New Yorkers, but they sold out their oaths of office."
The scandal came to light following a tip received by the NYPD, which led to a sting operation involving an undercover officer fluent in Fujianese. After collaborating with T&E, the officer reportedly obtained a New York driver's license without ever taking a scheduled road test.
Officials are concerned that this corrupt scheme, and others like it, could have far-reaching implications. District Attorney McMahon suggested, "The numbers, as we go through this investigation, as we go through the materials that have been seized, we think that we are going to find hundreds if not thousands of people that have been part of this scam."
Beyond the immediate danger posed by untrained drivers who lack English proficiency, the issuance of unearned licenses poses other threats to American public safety.
Fraudulent driver's licenses can compromise the security of airports and other high-security buildings that require state-issued IDs for entry, and they can also undermine the integrity of U.S. elections. McMahon warned, "We think this is just the tip of the iceberg, to put it simply."
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