Craig S. Morford
United States Attorney
Hilliard H. Hester
Assistant U.S. Attorneys
(615) 736-5151
FORMER STATE EMPLOYEE SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS
FOR ACCEPTING BRIBES
Nashville, TN - March 1, 2007. United States Attorney Craig S. Morford, Special Agent in Charge My Harrison, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Memphis Division, Special Agent in Charge Michael A. Holt, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Special Agent in Charge Cleve Daniels, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, and Director Mark Gwyn, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, announced today that Teresa Jones, a former employee of the Tennessee Department of Safety, has been sentenced in federal court to five years in prison following her conviction for accepting bribes as a Tennessee employee and her participation in a bribery conspiracy. Jones was sentenced by Chief Judge Todd Campbell, who also presided over her trial. In passing sentence, Judge Campbell noted that Jones’ activities had been serious, repetitive and had adversely impacted public safety.
Jones’ sentencing represents the ninth person sentenced in “Operation Crooked Highway,” a joint federal and state investigation into the fraudulent issuance of Tennessee driver licenses to non-Tennessee residents and illegal aliens. One defendant remains a fugitive. Jones had worked as a drivers’ license examiner at the TDOS station in Murfreesboro, Tennessee in 2004 and 2005, and was convicted of taking bribes in exchange for helping customers of the Winchester Driving School obtain drivers’ licenses even though they did not meet the state requirements. She was also convicted of assisting Bryan Guess, formerly the owner and operator of the Winchester Driving School, in such activities after leaving Tennessee employment. Guess, who pled guilty to three public corruption charges related to bribes he paid to employees of TDOS in exchange for benefits they provided to Guess’s customers, is currently serving a six year prison sentence. Jones was also convicted and given a concurrent sentence for making a false statement to Special Agents of the FBI when questioned about these activities. When Jones was arrested on January 25, 2006, she told the agents that she had not sold a driving test administered by TDOS. The jury found that Jones had in fact sold official TDOS tests for $2,500 in October 2005.
In announcing the sentence United States Attorney Craig S. Morford said, “Public corruption is a top priority for the Department of Justice and for this office, particularly when it involves public employees with access to sensitive functions such as issuing drivers’ licenses. This sentence also demonstrates the consequences of lying to federal agents and obstructing federal investigations.”
The United States was represented at sentencing by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hilliard Hester.