Former Pennsylvania Department of Transportation employee accused of helping immigrants on driver’s license tests

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A former Pennsylvania Division of Transportation worker accused by authorities of charging immigrants as much as $350 to assist move the data check and in the end receive driver’s licenses stated Wednesday he was in search of to assist them.

Angelo Carrion, 66, charged immigrants to furnish them with right solutions to get learner’s permits and in the end safe their licenses, in keeping with an affidavit. He additionally submitted incomplete functions or functions that weren’t verified for immigration or citizenship standing, the charging paperwork state.

Carrion was charged with 17 felony counts of bribery in official issues, one felony rely every of theft by deception and felony use of a communication facility, and 17 felony counts plus 35 misdemeanor counts of tampering with public information or data, Pennsylvania State Police introduced Wednesday.

Carrion additionally allegedly would give out his private cellphone quantity to Spanish-speaking PennDOT clients in order that they might arrange appointments, examine on their license standing or for referrals, in keeping with the affidavit.

Police stated everybody within the investigation was within the nation legally and eligible to obtain licenses.

Reached by telephone Wednesday, Carrion stated that he plans to plead no contest, although “I felt that 90% of these fees have been unfounded, with out benefit,” he stated.

He stated that he assisted “sure people” who didn’t converse the kind of Spanish that appeared on the check.

“That was my motive, to assist them,” he stated.

Carrion stated he didn’t at present have an legal professional, and was ready to see if he would qualify for a public defender.

Carrion was employed at two driver’s license facilities in Lancaster County the place he labored as a driver’s license examiner assistant beginning in 2019; he resigned in April after an inside investigation discovered irregularities with 268 license or identification playing cards that Carrion allegedly dealt with between October 2021 and March 2022, in keeping with the affidavit.

Police interviewed 35 of the candidates the place it was suspected that Carrion had tampered with checks or did not confirm their immigration standing, the affidavit stated. In interviews with the purchasers, principally recognized as Spanish-speaking within the affidavit, some allegedly failed the data check as many as 13 occasions earlier than Carrion was the one to manage the check.

Police stated that lots of Carrion’s clients have been required to check once more and plenty of didn’t move the re-testing course of.