On Wednesday, an indictment was unsealed in Houston charging a Texas man with operating illegal and dangerous transportation companies.
According to court documents, Shaquan Jelks, 48, of Houston, managed and controlled multiple commercial trucking companies despite being told not to by a federal court and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”), the regulatory agency in charge of ensuring that commercial trucks and their drivers are safe to operate on public roads and highways. The indictment against Jelks alleges that he frequently lied to and obstructed the FMCSA, including after a driver for one of his companies was killed in a single-vehicle incident in February 2022. The indictment also charges that Jelks used fraud to fund his unlawful trucking enterprises, including diverting money gained fraudulently from the Paycheck Protection Program.
“Individuals who impair, impede, or obstruct the FMCSA’s lawful functions make our roads and highways less safe,” stated Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to work closely with the Department of Transportation and our law enforcement partners to protect drivers on our roads and highways.”
“Motorists have a right to expect that commercial trucks on their roadways—which weigh tens of thousands of pounds or more—are safely maintained and operated,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas. “By prosecuting those that undermine this expectation of safety, DOJ and DOT are simultaneously keeping our roadways safe and maintaining public confidence.”
The case is being investigated by the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.