Florida police bust group using hidden cams to cheat on CDL exams: "This is happening all over the country"

Not the Bee ^ | 8/30/2025 | Harris Rigby

[Tell It Right]

The Duval County Sheriff's Office, Jacksonville, Florida, busted five people who cheated on their commercial driver's license exams using hidden cameras and earpieces.

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TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: cdl; duvalcounty; florida; jacksonville

[Tell It Right]

Both an article and a video at the link.

[Jane Long]

Here’s the entire article ..

Well, this is disturbing, but not surprising.

The Duval County Sheriff’s Office, Jacksonville, Florida, busted five people who cheated on their commercial driver’s license exams using hidden cameras and earpieces.

Here’s more from First Coast News in Florida:

First Coast News uncovered evidence that cheating on DMV tests for commercial licenses is happening in Jacksonville. Five men have been arrested in connection with the scheme. Their charges —felony charges including communications fraud and unlawful license applications. Investigators say the men used hidden phones and earpieces to cheat on DMV tests. One man is [sic] was sentenced in April to eight months behind bars. One was turned over to ICE. The other three completed felony pre-trial intervention and court records show their cases were dismissed.

We’re dismissing cases against people from other countries caught in the act of cheating on a commercial driver’s license test? In Florida?

I think we need DeSantis to pass a new law, make this behavior a felony to get it to stop.

Authorities say the cheating scheme allowed drivers who could not understand English to obtain commercial licenses, putting the public at serious risk. Sergeant Dylan Bryan with the Florida Highway Patrol calls it ‘organized fraud’ and warns that these operations may extend across the state.

Sgt. Bryan praises the employees at the testing locations for reporting suspicious behavior when the men wiggled in their chairs to position the iPhone cameras.

How many DMVs are falling prey to this scam?

[Secret Agent Man]

Good Lord its not that hard to pass driving exams if you spend some time studying and in this case, get some truck time training.

[marktwain]

Much harder to pass if you do not know English.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

People cheat on everything. Taking a half hour to study might cut into their doom scrolling time.

[Repeal The 17th]

Here is a story I know from personal experience...
A guy who had been driving with a commercial drivers license
and a hazardous material certificate for ten plus years
was required to get re-certified every year.

One time he decided he did not want to take the time on his day off
(an hour or so) to go in and watch a 1/2 hour video and take a test
to maintain his license and certification.

So he paid a buddy of his to go and sign in for him
and take the test in his behalf.

I do not know how it was found out, but when it was,
both men after, working over 10 years driving trucks
and making around $100K/year were fired.

[ridesthemiles]

IF YOU ARE AMERICAN & SPEAK/READ/ WRITE ENGLISH

[Secret Agent Man]

I suppose. I hadn’t thought that angle through fully.

[MayflowerMadam]

If you can’t read signs, that could be an obstacle. 🙄

[xp38]

Maybe they should start doing a simple English proficiency test at the weigh scales.

[FamiliarFace]

Ping to Duval!

[Magnum44]

[chuck allen]

They just started doing immigration crackdowns at the truck weigh stations in Fla after that bad accident last week.

“as of late August 2025, Florida is using its agricultural inspection stations as immigration checkpoints, collaborating with ICE agents to review driver credentials and identify violations of immigration law.”

[arthurus]

The headline is unclear about who was using the hidden cameras, the bustees or the busters.

[End Times Sentinel]

its not that hard to pass driving exams

Oh really? You think you could pass a driving exam in Hindi?

If we can't cater to invaders who cotton to driving extremely dangerous rigs on our open roads, then we do it at our own peril.

[Secret Agent Man]

Why would I need to? All the DMV folks speak English. I’m not driving in India.

Further, just from the headline, it wasn’t intuitive the cheaters in question were non-English speakers. I assumed they were typical native-born Americans cheating because they hadn’t practiced and studied the pertinent rules truckers have to know and follow to drive rigs.

[Liz]

Authorities say the cheating scheme allowed drivers who could not understand English to obtain commercial licenses, without regard that they were putting American families at serious risk.

Sergeant Dylan Bryan with the Florida Highway Patrol calls it ‘organized fraud’ and warns that these operations may extend across the state.

[cyclotic]

That’s my recommendation.

Every trucker has to prove both verbal and written english skills. Failure means instant loss of license and impoundment of truck. The trailer can be allowed to continue to the destination with another driver.

For my job I’m a product trainer with lots of gear. I have to stop at weight stations. I’ll put up with the delay.

[ronnie raygun]

hold the companies responsible, they can clearly see if they guy can speak english

[Noumenon]

Much harder to pass if you have Sub-Saharan level IQ.