LANCASTER, Pa. — A former Pennsylvania Department of Transportation employee in Lancaster County has been accused of using his position to facilitate a fraud scheme that allowed ineligible drivers to operate motor vehicles, Pennsylvania State Police said Wednesday.
Angelo Carrion, 66, of Lancaster, has been charged with 17 counts of bribery in official matters, one felony count of theft by deception, one felony count of criminal use of a communication facility, and 17 felony counts plus 35 misdemeanor counts of tampering with public records or information, according to police.
The charges were filed Wednesday.
Investigators say Carrion was employed as a driver's license examiner assistant at two Lancaster County drivers license centers at the time of the alleged crimes. He is accused of soliciting money from customers in exchange for his help with knowledge tests, police say.
Carrion’s actions allowed the customers to receive learner’s permits and, subsequently, driver’s licenses, according to a criminal complaint filed by Troop J’s Vehicle Fraud Investigations Unit.
Carrion was employed by PennDOT at the Regency Square License Center in East Hempfield Township and at the Lancaster East License Center in East Lampeter Township at the time of the alleged offenses. He resigned after PennDOT's Risk Management Office discovered irregularities with 268 license or identification card transactions processed by Carrion between October 2021 and March 2022, police say.
The irregularities included unusual testing patterns, incomplete applications, and the absence of required documents, according to police. Many applicants were immigrants, yet their applications often lacked verification of their immigration or citizenship status, police say.
In many cases, PennDOT investigators determined the applicants had failed knowledge examinations multiple times but passed when Carrion administered the test, according to the complaint.
The Vehicle Fraud Investigations Unit contacted applicants in cases where a criminal offense was suspected. A total of 35 applicants responded to police interviews, the complaint states.
The investigation determined Carrion exploited Spanish-speaking customers, particularly immigrants, and coerced them into giving him cash payments in return for his assistance on the tests, police say.
Applicants allegedly told police they paid Carrion $20 to $350 for his help with driver’s licenses and commercial driver’s licenses.
Many said Carrion took them into a private room and administered paper tests which, per PennDOT policy, should have been read to the individuals instead of providing them with the physical copy, police claim.
Carrion also provided applicants with answers, according to police.
All customers in this investigation were in the U.S. legally and thus eligible to apply for a driver’s license, police say.
Many of Carrion’s customers, whether interviewed by police or not, were required to undergo testing again to ensure they possessed the knowledge and skills of a safe driver. Many did not pass the re-testing process, according to police.
Following his arraignment, Carrion's bail was set at $75,000 unsecured.
