Five Kentuckians have been indicted on federal charges following an investigation into driver’s licensing fraud.
The defendants, listed below, are all Louisville residents and are charged with fraud and money laundering offenses.
- Donnita Wilson, 32
- Aariel Matthews, 27
- Raul Tellez Ojeda, 32
- Lazaro Alejandro Castello Rojas, 37
- Robert Danger Correa, 41
The indictment alleges the group solicited fees ranging from $200-$1,500 from legally present, non-U.S. citizens who were applying for driver’s licenses on the promise they would be expedited through the process without undergoing testing requirements.
The indictment also alleges the defendants altered information in government databases to bypass critical steps in the application process, a scheme executed for their personal financial gain.
"Proper vetting of individuals seeking a driver’s license is a prerequisite to ensuring the safety of Kentucky’s roadways and ensuring the legitimacy of state-issued identification. As alleged in the indictment, this fraudulent scheme involved kickbacks and bribes leading to numerous legally present, non-U.S. citizens obtaining unlawfully issued drivers licenses," said Kyle Bumgarner, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.
The scheme was limited to two regional driver's licensing offices where the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet noticed irregularities and revoked 1,985 credentials, according to Gov. Andy Beshear's office.
“Thanks to the hard work and dedication of law enforcement and state and federal offices, we now have the facts when it comes to this case and we are ready to hold those who violated the law responsible,” said Beshear.
Some of the indicted individuals were arraigned Monday in federal court. They face a maximum of 20 years on each count of mail fraud, mail fraud conspiracy, honest services mail fraud, and money laundering. Each count of unlawful production of identification documents carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
The indictments don’t involve the issuing of licenses to undocumented immigrants that was alleged by a whistleblower in a lawsuit filed last year.
Last month, Gov. Beshear appointed Jeremy Slinker to deputy secretary for KYTC to improve operations regional driver's licensing officers. Slinker previously served as Operations Division Director for Kentucky State Police, Director of Kentucky Emergency Management, and was a senior leader at FEMA.
“Jeremy has shown he’s an expert in operations," stated Beshear. "He has the background to root out any wrongdoing, and he’s uniquely qualified for this position.”
In addition to the alleged criminal activity at two Louisville regional offices, REAL ID enforcement and a new vision screening requirement have overwhelmed the state’s 35 regional offices, leading to long wait times and disgruntled customers.
“There’s been significant progress made in driver licensing processes, but we can always do better, and I’m dedicated to continuously improving,” said Slinker.
Under House Bill 162 filed in this year's legislative session, driver’s licensing duties would return to circuit court clerks. Senate Bill 7, passed by the Senate last month, allows counties without a regional office to choose a local official to offer license renewals.
The state transitioned driver’s license services from circuit court clerks to regional offices in 2021 to create a more centralized system and comply with federal REAL ID requirements.
