Three people are facing felony charges in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain commercial driver’s licenses.
On Tuesday, Aug. 25, officials in Miami-Dade County announced that Matthew Howard Jr., Keith Garrod Jones and Vanessa Erika Roberts had been arrested for their roles in the alleged scheme.
Officials said Howard and Jones, who are employees of the Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department, failed to pass both the knowledge and skill exams for a CDL. The two then allegedly paid an employee of the Tax Collector’s office, Roberts, to bypass those requirements.
“A commercial driver’s license must certify that the person behind the wheel has satisfied the requirements to operate large commercial vehicles safely,” Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez said in a statement. “Bypassing those safeguards undermines the licensing process and puts everyone on our…
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MANAGEMENT & CULTURE (THE “TONE AT THE TOP”)
Fraud thrives in “sloppy” environments where leadership ignores the rules.
- The Fraud Triangle: For fraud to occur, three elements must be present: Pressure (the need for money), Rationalization (thinking “I deserve this”), and Opportunity (weak controls). You can only control the Opportunity.
- Whistleblower Hotline: Provide an anonymous way for staff to report “odd behavior.” Most internal frauds are caught via tips, not audits.
- Background Checks: Conduct credit and criminal record checks for all employees in financial or data-sensitive roles.
- Annual Ethics Training: Make sure every staff member knows that the company has a Zero Tolerance policy toward “borrowing” from petty cash or fudging overtime.