Three Former Maryland MVA Employees Sentenced in Driver’s License Fraud Scheme
Source: Alexandr Dubovitskiy / Getty
Three former employees of the Maryland Vehicle Administration (MVA) have been sentenced for their roles in a fraudulent scheme involving driver’s licenses, according to Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown.
Shanice Smith, 35, Erica Watson, 30, and Larry Marshall, 55, all from Baltimore, exploited the MVA’s system, which is designed to issue driving credentials only to eligible applicants.
The scheme began when Watson advertised MVA credentials, including driver’s licenses and learner’s permits, for $600 each on Instagram. She and Smith then accepted payments from individuals seeking fraudulent credentials.
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To facilitate the scam, two individuals took the written portion of the driver’s test on behalf of at least 66 applicants. As an MVA customer agent, Smith was responsible for administering these knowledge tests. However, she allowed tests to be completed for applicants who were not present, according to the Attorney General.
Watson and Marshall used a portion of the collected funds to bribe Smith in exchange for her cooperation in the scheme.
As a result of their crimes, all three individuals faced legal consequences:
- Shanice Smith pleaded guilty to misconduct in office and bribery. She was sentenced to three years of supervised probation.
- Larry Marshall pleaded guilty to felony identity fraud, conspiracy to commit identity fraud, bribery, and conspiracy to commit bribery. He received a 17-month prison sentence followed by five years of supervised probation.
- Erica Watson pleaded guilty to the same charges as Marshall and was sentenced to six months in jail with three years of supervised probation.
- Authorities emphasized that the integrity of the MVA system is critical to public safety and that fraudulent schemes such as this one will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
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