Former Arlington County Employee Sentenced for Taking Bribes | WPN World People News

Francisco Samayoa Hernandez (“Samayoa”), 33, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for receiving bribes in connection with his work as a tax assessor supervisor at the Arlington County Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Select office. Samayoa also was ordered to pay approximately $21,000 in restitution to the DMV and to forfeit $11,480 in bribe payments to the government.

Dana J. Boente, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.

Samayoa pleaded guilty on March 18, 2014. According to court documents, from July 2012 through November 2013, Samayoa received $11,480 in bribes from a vehicle exporter in exchange for providing vehicle titles and falsifying DMV paperwork that allowed the exporter to avoid paying state motor vehicle sales and use tax in connection with the registration and titling of various luxury automobiles. In exchange for the bribes, Samayoa enabled the exporter to avoid paying approximately $25,000 due to the Commonwealth of Virginia for the registration and titling of a Lamborghini and multiple Ferraris, Porsches, and Mercedes. Samayoa also enabled another individual to avoid paying approximately $16,536 in state motor vehicle sales and use tax in connection with the registration and titling of two Lamborghinis.

Samayoa was an Arlington County employee, and the Arlington County Commissioner of Revenue contracts with the DMV to provide vehicle-related services at its local office.

Samayoa also served as a straw buyer for the exporter and purchased three BMWs in his name. In connection with these transactions, Samayoa falsely certified to a dealership that he was not purchasing the vehicle for export, and the dealership relied on that certification in making the sale.

Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.