The United States Department of Transportation can be notoriously stingy. As a trucker, if you do a single thing wrong, they can and will make your life extremely difficult. The department is known for being extremely strict with rules and regulations.
Sometimes, this doesn’t necessarily apply.
In this case, Patrick Gorena, a former border investigator for the FMCSA,
Patrick Gorena was a border investigator for the Department of Transportation (DOT)’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Spoiler — he’s not anymore. In fact, it’s looking like Gorena never will be again, as he was recently caught accepting a bribe from an undercover law enforcement officer.
Patrick Gorena, a former DOT employee, admitted that he failed to report violations
Patrick Gorena originally put himself on the radar by demanding $3,500 from a trucking company. In exchange, he would look past violations that could potentially cause fines or even loss of DOT license. He would eventually be targeted by law enforcement, who would catch him accepting a $2,000 bribe from an undercover officer. This is what would lead to his eventual demise.
Extortion of this degree doesn’t seem to be very common in the industry in the United States. When it does happen, it seems like the perpetrator is always caught.
In Gorena’s case, he was caught and has pled guilty to extortion under color of law as recently as this week. Is your career really worth $3,500?