Fake Trucking schools headed for “judge and jury” trial November, 2024
The “fake Trucking schools” criminal case appears to be headed for trial in the Superior Court of Justice (SCJ) in November, 2024.
While some administrative details remain to be worked out, Crown Attorney Julian Whitten pointed out, “We have over a year to get that together.”
“We have lots of time,” Justice H.W. Carl deJong agreed. He assigned the date of October 4th, 2023 for a return date for all of the lawyers to return and “get everything in order for SCJ.”
On May 18th, 2022, Quebec’s Economic Crimes Investigation Service, in collaboration with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), arrested 6 individuals from Montreal, Laval and Brampton, Ontario in connection with the production and the use of false documents. The documents allowed foreign clients to obtain driver’s licenses, including licenses to drive heavy goods vehicles.
The suspects allowed their foreign clients to obtain a class 5 (passenger vehicle) and possibly a class 1 (heavy goods vehicle) driver’s license from the SAAQ, using falsified documents.
Another scheme that was uncovered involved individuals operating unlicensed schools and delivering unauthorized training to students in Ontario and Quebec.
Gurvinder Singh, 55, of Laval, Que.; Gurpreet Singh, 33, of Saint Eustache, Que.; Mohammad Khokhar, 66, of Cornwall, Ont.; Jagjeet Deol, 50, of Caledon; Charanjit Kaur Deol, 50, of Caledon; and Hanifa Khokhar, 68, of Cornwall, Ont., were charged with fraud over $5,000.
In two of the cases, the accused pled guilty and were sentenced. On June 21, 2022, accused Hanifa Khokhar pleaded guilty to one count of fraud over. On the same date, the accused received a conditional sentence for 2 years less a day and probation for 12 months. The remaining counts were withdrawn.
On June 21, 2022, accused Mohammad Khokhar pleaded guilty to one count of fraud over. On the same date, the accused received a conditional sentence for 18 months and probation for 12 months. The remaining counts were withdrawn.
“The focus of this lengthy investigation has been public safety,” said Detective Inspector Daniel Nadeau with the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch. “Tractor-trailers and other commercial vehicles can be deadly in the hands of those with little or unapproved training.”
The investigation focused on fraudulent licensing activities, which circumvented the processes of the Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
According to Canada.com, the OPP’s investigation revealed three major components of a serious fraudulent scheme, significantly impacting the safety of Canadian highways:
- use of an interpreter to fraudulently complete required licensing knowledge tests
- non-Ontario residents applying for an Ontario driver’s licence
- circumvention of the Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) standard
The operation stems from an investigation initiated following information provided to the police by the Société d’Assurance Automobile du Québec (SAAQ) and the Canada Border Services Agency (ASFC), mobilized police officers from the Sûreté du Québec and the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
The investigation carried out by the Financial Crime Investigation Division of the Sûreté du Québec led to the filing of charges against people who operated mainly in the regions of Montreal, Laval and the Ontario border with Quebec. The suspects appeared in court on May 18th.
It’s a legal nightmare, says TTSAO
“It’s a legal nightmare,” Philip Fletcher, President of the Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario told Road Warrior News on March 28, 2023. “There is a large degree of fraud enacted in our segment of the industry at this particular time, both for airbrake certifications, as well as renewals. And obviously, in these cases, somebody is sidestepping every one of the many existing barriers and fabricating information to make it look legitimate.
“There are so many hurdles required for any legitimate Trucking business to get over, I can’t believe that so many barriers would be bypassed in order to get the product of these fake schools on the road,” Fletcher says. “This case just gives a horrendous view of what may be occurring out on the roads and might explain some of the major problems we have these days.
“Our members meet the requirement for schools; the rigours of inspection and certification; requirement for licensing. Carriers have to see proof of license validation for any drivers that they hire. Obviously, in some cases, somebody is intentionally sidestepping every one of the legal requirements and fabricating information to make it look legitimate. It’s almost unbelievable.”
