Have you ever wondered why some of the drivers in Georgia seemed like they bought their driver license? Well you were probably right because yesterday the US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia announced the sentencing of several individuals, one of which was an employee Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle.
Jules Armand Che Siewe Achou, 33, of Atlanta, and Gbemisola Wellengton-Salako, 36, of Marietta, were sentenced today by United States District Judge Orinda D. Evans for conspiring to issue Georgia driver’s licenses to people who did not qualify for them, but who were willing to pay up to $2,500 a pop for the licenses.
For their dastardly deed, the judge sentenced each of them up to 3 years in federal prison. Obviously this poses a serious problem to our national security in that it made it more feasible for a terrorist to obtain one of the bogus licenses and be able to pass through airport security or gain access into a secure building requiring government issued identification. In addition to this dumbness, unskilled drivers pose a dangerous situation to others on the road.
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges in the indictment, and other information presented in court: in approximately June 2007, Wellengton-Salako was a driver’s license examiner in the DDS Customer Service Center on County Services Parkway in Marietta when she agreed to work with Siewe Achou to provide driver’s licenses to people who did not qualify for them, but who would pay up to $2,500 for a license. Siewe Achou would find customers and send them to Wellengton-Salako, who would issue them licenses without any tests or proof of legal residency in Georgia. Siewe Achou and Wellengton-Salako later shared the money he collected from their customers. Eventually, Siewe Achou recruited other men to help him find customers for the conspiracy. Between June 2007 and September 2009, the conspirators caused the DDS to issue up to 40 driver’s licenses.
Three other individuals, NAMBALADJA SOULEYMANE FOFANA, 29, of Atlanta, MOHAMED CELLOU BAMBA, 34, of Atlanta, and OMAR SHERIFF MANJANG, 45, of Lawrenceville, were also charged in the conspiracy. They each pleaded guilty to assisting SIEWE ACHOU in finding customers for the conspiracy. FOFANA and BAMBA were sentenced to prison for 8 months, with deportation proceedings to follow. MANJANG was sentenced to one year of probation.
Got to be more careful!
