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Two Massachusetts men were charged in federal court in Springfield in connection with falsifying driving logs, instructing others to do so and making a false statement to investigators.
The charges are the result of a review of Westfield Transport Inc. following a crash involving one of its vehicles that caused the deaths of seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire on June 21, 2019.
Dunyadar Gasanov, or Damien Gasanov, 36, was indicted on one count of falsification of records, one count of conspiracy to falsify records and one count of making a false statement to a federal investigator. Dartanayan Gasanov, 35, was indicted on one count of falsification of records.
According to the indictment, the defendants owned Westfield Transport Inc., a for-hire interstate motor carrier that transported vehicles primarily in the northeastern U.S. It is alleged that, from May 3, 2019, to June 23, 2019, the defendants falsified driving logs in order to evade federal regulations designed to ensure the safety of roadways and drivers.
It is further alleged that Dunyadar instructed at least one Westfield Transport employee to falsify records, thereby exceeding the number of permissible driving hours, and then made a false statement to a federal inspector regarding the manipulation of recording devices that track drivers’ on and off duty hours in order to evade regulations.
The charge of falsification of records provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of conspiracy to falsify records provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of making a false statement to a federal investigator provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts