Xu Feng, the main suspect in the Flushing driving school fraud case, who was suspected of bribing DMV examiners for a long time and helping a large number of Chinese illegal immigrants obtain driver’s licenses, was arrested in Albertville, Alabama recently. According to local police, Feng Xu was an employee of Chow King, a well-known restaurant in Albertville. He was wanted for felony fraud charges in New York. After being notified by the Department of Homeland Security last week, he was arrested by the local sheriff’s office. The case is currently being investigated across states by federal and New York City prosecutors.
The “T&E Driving School” involved in the case by Feng Xu was jointly named by New York State and federal law enforcement agencies at the beginning of this month, saying that the school had long bribed DMV examiners and helped a large number of Chinese illegal immigrants, even those who could not drive, to illegally obtain driver’s licenses.
The prosecutor pointed out that the number of people involved in the case may reach hundreds or even thousands, posing a threat to New York City’s public safety and national security. The case involves a total of 139 charges. Several driving schools and DMV personnel involved in the case have been prosecuted, and another 24 people have been arrested, affecting a wide range of people.
After Feng Xu was arrested, the local Marshall County Sheriff revealed that Feng Xu was suspected of being involved in a major fraud case of the “Dazhong Driving School” in New York and fled to Alabama; the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) found that Feng Xu entered the country illegally, and the case has been transferred to the relevant departments for handling.
Officials from the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said that the Dazhong Driving School used social media and targeted advertisements to specifically target vulnerable groups in the Chinese community, and claimed that regardless of identity, language ability or driving skills, they could guarantee a driver’s license. The driving school also clearly marked the price: 1,600 yuan for those with a learner’s permit and 2,000 yuan for those without a permit, “guaranteed to pass the test.” The police investigation found that the driving school employees not only arranged bribes for the examiners, but sometimes directly impersonated the students themselves to take the written test and road test. Some DMV examiners skipped the test process and directly issued the driver’s license.
It is not clear how long Feng Xu will be detained in Albertville, but according to the New York prosecutors, 14 people, including Feng Xu and three Queens DMV employees, have been charged. Feng Xu is currently waiting to be taken back to New York for further trial.
The aftermath of the driving school fraud case continued. Last week, a Chinese man was raided by the police at his home in Pennsylvania. His relative, who had been in the United States for only half a year, was arrested on the spot for suspected “buying a driver’s license”, indicating that the law enforcement action in this case has spread to many states.
