Shawana Denise Harris, DMV Bribery, California 2022

State: California
Category: Public Corruption
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/former-dmv-employee-pleads-guilty-conspiracy-receive-bribes-alter-records-dmv-database" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A former DMV employee’s egregious crime has been exposed, putting the public’s trust at risk. Shawana Denise Harris, 52, of Rancho Cucamonga, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery, to commit unauthorized access of a computer, and to commit identity fraud.

According to court documents, Harris was charged on November 16, 2017, with conspiring to receive bribes as a DMV employee in Rancho Cucamonga for accessing and altering records in the DMV’s database in Sacramento.

As part of the scheme, Harris altered records to show that applicants for California commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) had passed the required tests when, in truth, they had not done so, and in some cases had not even taken the tests. This led to the DMV issuing permits and completed California CDLs to unqualified drivers.

The investigation into Harris’s crimes involved the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Office of Internal Affairs; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rosanne L. Rust and Christopher S. Hales are prosecuting the case.

Harris is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley. If convicted, Harris faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The court will determine Harris’s actual sentence after considering applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account various variables.

The DMV’s integrity has been compromised, and the public’s trust has been shaken. It is crucial that those responsible for public corruption face justice and are held accountable for their actions.

This case highlights the importance of maintaining public trust and ensuring that those in positions of authority act with integrity and honesty.

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