2 DMV Clerks, 2 Others Held in License Scheme

Four men were arrested Tuesday afternoon in an alleged bribery and counterfeiting scheme at two state Department of Motor Vehicles offices, authorities said.

The four men, two of them DMV clerks, allegedly provided driver’s licenses to individuals without them having to take written and on-the-road tests, according to Rudy Fimbres, a supervising special investigator for the DMV’s Southern California special operations unit.

Booked at the Carson sheriff’s substation on suspicion of bribery were Oliver Hardge, 44, of Harbor City, an employee of the Long Beach office of the DMV, and Devin Riley, 24, of Hawthorne, an employee of the Westminster DMV office. Both were arrested at the Long Beach office.

Two others arrested on suspicion of counterfeiting were Valentin Trujillo, 34, and Alfonso Nunez, both of Los Angeles, officials said.

According to Fimbres, a three-month investigation revealed evidence that applicants for driver’s license were contacted in lines at DMV offices by Trujillo and offered, for a fee, a driver’s license without having to take the tests. The applicants were also offered counterfeit birth certificates or immigration documents, for a fee, if they did not possess legitimate papers, Fimbres said.

Fimbres said it was unclear Tuesday just how many improper licenses were issued.