CHP officers allegedly took $35,000 in bribes to alter car documents, California DOJ says

Two former California Highway Patrol officers were arraigned in Los Angeles on Monday for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for falsifying documents to register exotic “gray market” cars, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta .

According to the complaint filed by the California Department of Justice, former officers James Yao Kuo and Jessie Anthony Carrillo received $35,000 in 2016 to alter the Carfax and DMV documents for vehicles imported to the U.S. from another country.

In many cases, it is illegal to drive those “gray market” cars in California because they don’t meet the state safety and/or emissions standards, according to the Justice Department.

The allegations were investigated by the California Highway Patrol, and the two officers are no longer with the agency. The last dates of employment for Carillo and Kuo were in January 2020 and August 2020, respectively. The California Department of Justice filed a felony complaint against the former officers on Jan. 19, 2021 and they self-surrendered to CHP investigators following week.

“CHP officers are charged with keeping our roads and the people of California safe and secure. Any law enforcement officer who abuses that authority for their own personal gain should be held accountable,” Bonta said in a statement. “Bribery is a serious crime, and there is no place for these alleged acts in California law enforcement.”

A spokesperson for highway patrol said the department could not comment on pending litigation.

This story was originally published May 24, 2021 at 11:28 AM.