Earlier this month, New York State and federal law enforcement agencies jointly announced the crackdown of a major driver’s license sales case, naming Flushing’s “T&E Driving School” for bribing DMV examiners for many years to help people with no driving experience illegally obtain driver’s licenses. The case continues to expand. A Chinese man was raided by police at his home in Pennsylvania, and his relative, who had only been in the United States for half a year, was arrested on the spot for suspected “buying a driver’s license.” The man accused the police of breaking into the house and handcuffing him, and the child was frightened and cried on the spot.
The man said that he drove out on the morning of the 16th and was stopped by a car without warning within a few minutes. Among the four law enforcement officers, two were in uniform and two were in plain clothes, including federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. He said: “I didn’t understand what was going on at the time, and I was handcuffed and taken home. Only then did I realize that they were here to arrest my relative.”
After the police and the man arrived at his residence, they entered the residence and showed the arrest warrant, arresting and accusing his relative of illegally obtaining a driver’s license through Volkswagen Driving School earlier this year. The police suspected that his driver’s license was not obtained through a formal test, but was “bought” through collusion between the driving school and the traffic examiner, and the case has entered the wanted procedure.
The man revealed that his relative had only been in the United States for half a year. He spent tens of thousands of dollars on the procedures and travel expenses to come to the United States, and now he still has more than 10,000 US dollars in debt. If he is deported for this reason, he will face a double blow of economic and mental. He speculated that the police may have targeted his family based on the address and emergency contact information filled in by his relative when applying for the license.
He said that the police’s handling process had an impact on his family. “They handcuffed me, and my children cried on the spot,” the man said, “I am not a wanted person, but the address was filled in. It’s too much to treat me like this.”
He said that the police asked him to assist in the investigation and have not taken further action against him, but he has consulted a lawyer to prepare for the response. “The lawyer said that bail can be issued, but the cost is very expensive.”
A Chinese immigrant revealed that his brother was also arrested by the police at his home recently. “The police knocked on the door and rushed in, handcuffed my brother and showed us the documents, saying he had bought a driver’s license.” The source said that the police used translation software to communicate with the family, and the whole process was shocking and panic-stricken.
According to the information currently available, the relevant arrest operations are still ongoing, and many people in the Chinese community who have obtained driver’s licenses through this driving school are panicking, worrying that they will be the next target of investigation.
