An investigation conducted by the Indiana Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Indiana State Police and the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, has resulted in criminal charges against two former Indiana BMV employees.
The Marion County prosecutor charged Gabriella C. Perry and Winters Ann VanDyke, both former customer-service employees at the BMV’s Midtown branch, each with one count of bribery (a Level 5 felony) and one count of official misconduct (a Level 6 felony). The bribery charge carries a potential sentence of up to six years, and the official misconduct charge carries a potential sentence of up to two and a half years.
The charges stem from a scheme in which Perry and VanDyke are alleged to have manually entered passing scores for written driver’s tests that customers never actually took, allowing customers to obtain a learner’s permit or license without passing a legitimate test. Investigators identified over 300 illegitimate tests entered under Perry’s and VanDyke’s BMV log-in credentials between June 2023 and February 2024. Court documents allege the two were paid money per test.
The scheme was uncovered after BMV staff at another branch noticed an unusual pattern of customers who had previously failed written tests suddenly obtaining permits or licenses.
“This investigation was launched based on BMV staff who noticed something and said something – and that led the OIG to uncover an alleged bribery scheme that not only betrayed Hoosier trust, but it also created the potential that unqualified and untested drivers were on Indiana’s roads,” said Indiana Inspector General Jared Prentice. “The Marion County prosecutor has now filed charges to pursue justice in this case.”
The BMV immediately identified and invalidated all of the of driver’s licenses and permits associated with this case in February 2024. All of the individuals who were issued licenses or permits were notified that they must retake and pass applicable exams to receive their credential.
A charge is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law