Johnston Trucking Companies Indicted: US Attorney

JOHNSTON, RI—Two Johnston companies and their owners are accused of hauling tons of scrap metal in trucks that needed repairs. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, the trucks rolled across Rhode Island and Massachusetts roads, with doctored safety inspection reports. CDE Corporation and Winsor Hill Hauling and Recycling Corporation, both of Johnston, and their owners, Leslie Cucino, 53, of Foster, and Robert Cucino, Jr., 48, of Johnston, were indicted by the grand jury on Thursday. They face one count of conspiracy and six counts of false statements.

According to the court papers, starting around March 9, 2009, the owners "directed and encouraged employee drivers, under the threat of up to termination, to falsely certify that the commercial motor vehicles they were operating had 'No Defects' on their Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports when in fact the driver knew that the vehicles had serious safety defects that were required to be reported, and, in some cases, had received citations of serious violations from the Massachusetts or Rhode Island State Police on the same day.

The trucks hauled scrap metal to the Port of Providence and to Boston, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Federal regulations require truck drivers to complete a daily DVIR on each commercial motor vehicle operated, the office said.

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