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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Investment fraud targets the human desire for financial growth by promising high returns with “low to no risk.”
- Ponzi Schemes: Named after Charles Ponzi, these schemes pay “returns” to earlier investors using the capital brought in by newer investors. There is no actual underlying business; the system collapses when new recruitment slows down.
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- Pump and Dump: Fraudsters spread false, positive rumors about a cheap stock (the “pump”) to drive up the price. Once the price peaks, they sell their shares (the “dump”), leaving other investors with worthless stock.