Investigators expect they’ve only uncovered the “tip of the iceberg” after Operation Road Test exposed a New York City scheme to get illegal aliens driver’s licenses.
(Video Credit: CBS News)
As the downward spiral of Gotham continues, many are still hard at work upholding the law, and on Tuesday, that included announcing an indictment of 14 individuals alleged to have participated in a pay-to-drive scheme. Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon detailed during a press conference Tuesday that “hundreds if not thousands of people” may have illegally obtained licenses through T&E Driving School in Queens.
“The numbers, as we go through this investigation, as we go through the materials that have been seized, we think that we are going to find hundreds if not thousands of people that have been part of this scam,” he explained of the scheme uncovered by a team that included his office, Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) New York field office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The school was said to be paying off Department of Motor Vehicle employees from the money provided by Chinese nationals, which ranged between $1,600 and $2,000 per license.
“Our investigation found that T&E Driving School blatantly flouted the laws and procedures that are necessary to ensure the public safety on the road,” HSI Assistant Special Agent in Charge George Ioannidis said during the press conference. “As alleged, T&E utilized social media and strategic advertising to Target exploited members of the Chinese community and guaranteed individual driver’s licenses regardless of their immigration status, language, and even their ability to operate a vehicle.”
“Moreover these individuals were often those who did not speak or understand English and may have believed that they were all taking necessary, legitimate steps,” he added as the indictment named T&E owner Weixian Tan, secretary Weiwen Tan, road test driver Wenfeng Yang and employee Winnie Yang as well as DMV examiners Tianna Rose Andolina, Aji Idicula and Edward Tarik Queen and seven others.
State Inspector General Lucy Lang’s office posted, “When public servants abuse their positions, they don’t just break the law — they betray NYer’s trust.”
When public servants abuse their positions, they don’t just break the law – they betray NYers’ trust.
Today IG Lucy Lang, @StatenIslandDA, @HSINewYork, & @PostalInspector announced the indictment of 14 defendants, including 3 state employees, in a massive DMV corruption scheme. pic.twitter.com/D2PgmJejrp
— NYS Inspector General (@NewYorkStateIG) July 1, 2025
It was explained during the press conference that, in order to expose the alleged scheme, an undercover NYPD officer paid the school $1,600 and was later informed that he had passed the test he had never taken.
“The number of tests given by an individual examiner can be about 1,500 a year,” detailed McMahon while suggesting the extent of the operation. “Two out of the three examiners have been working for four or five years, so we think this is just the tip of the iceberg.”
“Countless individuals are now driving on our roads without ever having demonstrated the basic skills necessary to do so safely,” the DA’s office added in a social media post as efforts were underway to revoke the privileges of those who may have benefited from the alleged operation.
As for those indicted, charges include fraud, tampering, and theft.
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Author: Kevin Haggerty
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