A former Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) employee will spend the next two years in prison after being found guilty of issuing 215 fraudulent commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) between 2017 and 2019.
Alonzo Blackmon, 68, of San Antonio, pleaded guilty to the “conspiracy to commit mail and honest services fraud” in February 2020. A judge handed down the sentence last week, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office release.
“This case represents an appalling breach of public trust and safety,” U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff said in the release. “Our office will continue to work with the FBI and our other law enforcement partners to hold corrupt officials and those who conspire with them accountable for their criminal actions.”
Blackmon received about $1,000 for each fake CDL he issued, and in addition to the two-year jail sentence, the court ordered him to pay a monetary judgment of $215,000.
Authorities said Blackman oversaw the issuance of CDLs at the Texas DPS between 2017 and 2019 and administered the written exams and road tests required to receive a CDL.
During that time, Blackmon allowed 215 people to earn the license without taking the road test, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Since the road test was not administered, those licenses are considered fraudulent.
Blackmon received $1,000 for each fraudulent license through intermediaries Fernando Guardado Vazquez, 43, of San Antonio, and Marino Maury Diaz-Leon, 55, a Cuban national living in San Antonio, the press release states.
The two additional men also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and honest services fraud.
Diaz-Leon was sentenced on Thursday to one year and one day in prison.
Vazquez’s sentencing is scheduled for August 10, 2022.
The FBI collaborated with the Texas Rangers and DPS in investigating the case.
“The FBI is committed to working with our partners to hold public officials accountable to the trust bestowed upon them by the citizens we serve,” FBI Special Agent Oliver E. Rich Jr. said. “We will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of public corruption and would like to thank our partners for their strong partnership and unrelenting pursuit of justice.”