A former Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) border investigator has been convicted and sentenced for extortion.
As part of his plea, Gorena admitted that when auditing a trucking company, he did not report safety violations that would have exposed the company to potential fines and the loss of their DOT license. In return, Gorena demanded $3,500, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas.
However, he ultimately accepted $2,000 from an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a representative of the trucking company.
The Department of Transportation – Office of the Inspector General and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Hanes prosecuted the case along with Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section.
