Another Illinois State Worker Is Charged in CDL Fraud Scandal

CHICAGO (AP) — A former secretary of state worker charged with trading commercial driver licenses for bribes also issued a license to a trucker involved in a 1994 Wisconsin crash that killed six children, officials say.

A federal complaint unsealed Feb. 9 charged Marion Seibel with selling CDLs to unqualified drivers while she was a supervisor at the secretary of state’s McCook licensing facility in Chicago’s southwest suburbs.

Ricardo Guzman, who was involved in the accident that killed the Rev. Duane and Janet Willises’ six children, received his CDL in 1992 from Seibel, said Dave Urbanek, a spokesman for Gov. George Ryan. But Urbanek said there is no evidence that Guzman obtained his license illegally. Ryan was secretary of state at the time.

A 100-pound steel part fell from Guzman’s tractor-trailer on I-94 near Milwaukee and struck a van, causing a fire that killed the children. Guzman was not ticketed.

The Willises have filed a lawsuit against Guzman’s trucking company. But their attorney, Joseph Power, has pointed the finger at the secretary of state’s office. He suggests Guzman, whom he alleges cannot speak English well enough to pass a driving test, improperly obtained his license.

U.S. Attorney Scott Lassar declined to comment on any possible link between Seibel and Guzman.

eibel is the seventh person and fifth secretary of state worker charged in an ongoing federal probe called Operation Safe Road. The other defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.

Prosecutors said that Seibel charged between $150 and $800 per license. Some of the bribe payments also were made in the form of political contributions, according to the criminal complaint.

Seibel was fired in December 1996 after an internal secretary of state’s investigation revealed that she had issued a phony license to herself, Urbanek said.

From 1992 to 1996, individuals associated with trucking businesses would contact Seibel on behalf of applicants who wanted to pass driver’s exams, the criminal complaint said. Seibel allegedly would arrange for employees to provide the applicants with answers to the exams and ensure that they passed their road tests.

Seibel acknowledged in a deposition in the Willis case that during her employment with the secretary of state’s office she sold at least $82,000 in political fund-raising tickets. A portion of that money, prosecutors allege, came from bribes. But Lassar declined to specify how much or for which candidate the tickets were purchased.

Ryan said in a statement that Seibel had donated a total of $985 to his campaign fund, with the last contribution made in 1994. He said he would donate an equal amount to charity

eibel was released on $4,500 bond. No further court dates were scheduled.