Boston Driving Instructor Bribed RMV Official

BOSTON – A calculated scheme to bypass the rules of the road has landed a former Boston driving instructor in hot water. Ngan Dinh, 48, was sentenced yesterday for conspiring to defraud the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) by securing driver’s licenses for applicants who couldn’t pass the basic road test. The operation preyed on vulnerable immigrants and undermined the integrity of the state’s licensing process.

U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris handed down a two-year probation sentence, with the first six months to be served under home confinement with GPS monitoring. Dinh was also slapped with a $4,000 fine and ordered to forfeit $5,450. He pleaded guilty in March 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud, admitting to a brazen attempt to profit from a broken system.

Dinh, a naturalized U.S. citizen fluent in Vietnamese, specifically targeted members of the Vietnamese community in Boston. Many of his clients were new immigrants with limited English proficiency, struggling to navigate the RMV’s requirements. Instead of providing legitimate instruction, Dinh exploited their vulnerability. He allegedly offered a shortcut – a bribe to a corrupt road test examiner at the Brockton RMV.

The scheme was simple, and cynical. Dinh circulated business cards promising assistance with the licensing process. Clients paid him up to $1,200 in cash, believing they were securing a legitimate service. Dinh then allegedly paid a $100 cash bribe to the RMV employee for each client, pocketing the remainder as pure profit. Shockingly, some applicants didn’t even bother to show up for the road test, relying solely on Dinh’s illicit connections.

Dinh’s deception went further than just bribes. He allegedly lied to customers, claiming the RMV wasn’t offering road tests due to the pandemic – a blatant falsehood. He also falsely presented himself as a “certified rep” for the RMV, a non-existent position designed to instill false confidence. The entire operation was built on a foundation of lies and exploitation, turning a necessary public service into a personal cash grab.

The announcement of Dinh’s sentencing came from Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, alongside Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Wichers and Adam W. Deitch of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecution Unit successfully prosecuted the case, sending a clear message that such schemes will not be tolerated.