Former FMCSA Employee Admits to Trucking Company Bribery and Extortion

A former FMCSA investigator has pleaded guilty to extortion charges and faces up to 20 years in prison.

Texas resident and former Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) border investigator Patrick Gorena (54) pleaded guilty to a charge of extortion under color of law, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

The Extortion Attempt

Authorities say that “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.”

On July 20th 2022, Gorena performed the safety inspection in question for a local trucking company and allegedly informed the company that it was facing $15,000 in fines “for the violations he identified and that the company’s operations may be suspended,” according to court documents. 

USDOT and FBI Went Under Cover

Gorena was eventually caught accepting $2,000 from an undercover agent posing as a representative from a trucking company. Sentencing is scheduled for April 18, 2023 where Gorena faces up to 20 years in prison. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation – Office of the Inspector General and the FBI.

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