On July 1, Staten Island District Attorney Michael E. McMahon announced with federal law enforcement agencies that the Flushing “T & E Driving School” is suspected of illegally helping a large number of individuals who did not pass the exam to obtain driver’s licenses through bribery of New York State Department of Motor Vehicles examiners. Most of the applicants are Chinese immigrants, some of whom lack driving experience or are unable to communicate in English. Prosecutors warn that this case may pose a potential risk to traffic safety in New York City and involve national security issues.
According to the 139 charges announced by prosecutors, the criminal activity involves T & E Driving School in Flushing, Queens, and several employees of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in the Staten Island area, who are accused of manipulating the licensing process and identity theft. The majority of the clientele of T & E Driving School are immigrants from China.
Investigations revealed that T & E Driving School recruited immigrant clients who speak Fujianese dialect through social media advertisements, offering driver’s license processing services, most of whom are not U.S. citizens. According to prosecutors, if the applicant already has a learner’s permit, the school charges $1,600; if they have not obtained a learner’s permit, they must pay $2,000 to obtain a full driver’s license.
School employees would arrange for imposters to take written and road tests, and in some cases, bribed DMV examiners would skip the testing process and issue driver’s licenses. The illegal activities primarily took place at three testing locations on Staten Island, including Dugdale exam site in Oakwood, Lenevar exam site in Woodrow, and Staten Island 2 exam site in Mariners Harbor.
Prosecutors have not determined the exact number of individuals involved, but estimate that a single examiner on average handles about 1,500 driver’s license tests per year. During search and arrest operations, investigators confiscated 150 licenses related to this case.
According to the indictment, the owner of T & E Driving School, Weixan Tan, his secretary, Weiwan Tan, and employee Winnie Yang, all face criminal charges. The three individuals are registered at Malone Avenue in Oakwood, Staten Island. Additionally, two test-takers, Wenfeng Yang and an unnamed female suspect, are also charged.
The implicated DMV employees include Staten Island residents Edward Tarik Queen (40 years old), Aji Idicula (43 years old), and Tianna Rose Andolina (30 years old). Prosecutors allege that these employees received monetary rewards for assisting in fabricating test scores, manipulating databases, and unlawfully issuing driver’s licenses.
Most of the defendants currently face a maximum of 7 years in prison for serious felonies, and are expected to appear in court again on September 3.
The breakthrough in this case originated from an internal report at the DMV about irregularities in the testing process. Subsequently, an undercover detective fluent in Fujianese dialect contacted T & E Driving School, signed up for a learner’s permit and test for $1,600. A few days later, without undergoing the actual test, he received a legitimate driver’s license, becoming a key piece of evidence in this case.
This case is being jointly investigated by various law enforcement agencies, including the New York State Inspector General’s Office, New York State DMV, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the New York City Police Department, under the operation name “Operation Road Test.”
Authorities point out that illegally obtained New York State driver’s licenses not only jeopardize road safety but could also be used to access high-security areas requiring state ID, including government buildings, airports, and boarding gates, posing potential national security risks.
Ricky J. Patel, head of the Homeland Security Investigations New York office, highlighted that this scheme not only undermines the credibility of the licensing system but could also allow individuals without driving abilities to drive, posing a potential danger to the public.
Prosecutors state that individuals who have obtained driver’s licenses through illicit means and fail to report it may also face legal consequences. District Attorney McMahon urges relevant individuals to promptly contact law enforcement authorities to potentially receive leniency in handling and reducing potential criminal liability.
Informants can call the New York State Inspector General’s Office at 1-800-367-4448 to make an anonymous report.
Currently, T & E Driving School is marked as “permanently closed” on Google Maps, with no one answering the official phone line, only a voicemail box. The school has not publicly responded to this case as of now.