Posted on: October 30, 2026 08:00 AM

Share : Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp

DMV supervisor sentenced to jail time for exam cheating scam at garden city branch

Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a former Department of Motor Vehicles (“DMV”) supervisor was sentenced today to one year in jail for orchestrating a cheating scheme to bypass commercial driver’s license (“CDL”) exams and process permits for no-show applicants.

Kanaisha Middleton, 34, pleaded guilty on May 4, 2026, before Judge Robert Schwartz to Corrupting the Government in the Fourth Degree (an E felony); Impairing the Integrity of a Licensing Examination (a D felony); and Official Misconduct (an A misdemeanor).

She was sentenced today to one year’s incarceration.

“Kanaisha Middleton used her government position to corrupt and exploit DMV systems and manipulate a process meant to ensure those permitted to drive commercial vehicles on New York State roadways have the knowledge and abilities to do so safely,” said DA Donnelly. “She enlisted the help of her sister and several other DMV employees in a masquerade of hairbrained disguises to conceal a half-baked scheme putting money in their pockets and untested drivers on the roads with permits they never earned. We expect public employees to uphold the law, not sell it out for cash and at the expense of New Yorkers’ safety. I thank the New York State Inspector General and her team for bringing my office these serious allegations of corruption and helping us hold Middleton and her accomplices accountable with criminal convictions.”

“New Yorkers have every right to expect that those entrusted with keeping our roads safe are upholding the very rules they are charged with enforcing,” said New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang. “By exploiting her position to help others circumvent critical safety laws, this defendant betrayed the public’s trust and undermined the integrity of the system. I am grateful to all New York State employees who speak up, our dedicated investigators, and our partners at the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office for ensuring that this misconduct did not go unchecked."

According to the indictment and investigation, the allegations were first reported to the New York State Inspector General’s Office from a supervisor in the Garden City branch of the DMV who alleged that employees were processing CDL permit applications without applicants sitting for the required tests at the DMV location.

To obtain a CDL permit, applicants must provide proof of identification in the form of a class “D” license or other form of government issued identification, as well as proof of legal status in the United States.

Motor Vehicle Representatives (“MVRs”) then verify an applicant’s identity, matching their provided license with internal, digitized DMV records.

Once an applicant’s identity is verified, they are assigned to a testing station in an exam room to take a CDL permit exam on a computer terminal. Scores are automatically generated and stored on terminals in the exam room. If an applicant passes the exam, they can obtain their permit on the same day by seeing a MVR with their identification and a completed MV44 form.

On several dates between March 2023 and September 2023, Jamie Middleton, sister of DMV supervisor Kanaisha Middleton, under Kanaisha Middleton’s direction, approached DMV employees dressed in various disguises and purported to be different permit applicants seeking to take the exams.

Jamie Middleton was dressed in baggy clothing, facemasks, construction jackets and fake facial hair when she approached DMV employees to gain access to the testing room.

On each of the dates, Jamie Middleton was given access to the testing room by various MVRs despite Middleton’s appearance not matching the identification and DMV records for the applicants for whom she was posing.

On May 23, 2023, Jamie Middleton took exams for two applicants, defendants Rene Sarduy, a Town of Hempstead Department of Highway employee, and Omesh Mohan, less than five minutes apart and wearing the exact same clothing.

Mohan and Sarduy both went to different DMV locations in Springfield Gardens and Bethpage in the following days to provide their paperwork and obtain their interim permits.

The DMV requires that each CDL interim permit holder also pass a specified CDL road test in order to obtain their CDL license. Both Mohan and Sarduy were never issued full licenses and the investigation determined that Mohan in fact failed the CDL road test.

Jamie Middleton took nine CDL exams in this period and passed the test eight times for seven applicants. Six of those applicants were not issued full CDL licenses.

Defendant James Nurse, a Town of Hempstead Sanitation employee, received an interim permit on August 16, 2023, at the Massapequa branch of the DMV after Jamie Middleton took his exam two days before in Garden City.

Nurse was issued a full CDL license on September 28, 2023, and NCDA’s investigation revealed that the defendant later used his illegally obtained CDL license to drive recycling trucks for the Sanitation Department.

Jamie Middleton, 36, pleaded guilty on May 4, 2026, before Judge Schwartz to Corrupting the Government in the Fourth Degree and eight counts of Impairing the Integrity of a Licensing Examination. She was sentenced on July 7, 2026, to five months incarceration and five years’ probation. NCDA recommended a sentence of six months incarceration and five years’ probation.

Satoya Mitchell, 35, pleaded guilty on March 4, 2026, before Judge Schwartz to Impairing the Integrity of a Government Licensing Examination; Tampering with Public Records in the First Degree (a D felony); and Official Misconduct. She was sentenced on April 17, 2026, to four years’ probation. NCDA recommended a sentence of five years’ probation.

James Nurse, 43, pleaded guilty on March 13, 2026, before Judge Schwartz to Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree (an A misdemeanor). He was sentenced on May 8, 2026, to three years’ probation.

Rene Sarduy, 45, pleaded guilty on December 16, 2025, before Judge Schwartz to Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree. He was sentenced on February 26, 2026, to three years’ probation.

Omesh Mohan, 43, pleaded guilty on January 6, 2026, before Judge Schwartz to Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree. He was sentenced on March 13, 2026, to three years’ probation.

Tawanna Whitfield, 36, pleaded guilty on January 22, 2026, before Judge Schwartz and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 23, 2026.

From DA