NEW YORK — The U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York has sentenced Tony Kirik, a.k.a. Anatoliy Kirik to 45 months of incarceration, 24 months of supervised release, a $150,000 fine and a $700 special assessment.
On June 21, 2024, Kirik was found guilty of conspiracy, false documents, false statements, falsification of records, and concealment of material facts.
Kirik, owner of New York-based trucking businesses Orange Transportation Services Inc. (OTS) and Dallas Logistics Inc. (DLI), conspired with others to devise a scheme to defraud the Federal Motor Carrier Association (FMSCA).
They attempted to conceal from FMCSA that Kirik owned and managed DLI. They also concealed that DLI was affiliated with other corporate entities he used, including OTS, which had received a “conditional” FMCSA safety rating. A conditional rating means a motor carrier does not have adequate safety management controls in place to meet the safety fitness standard.
According to witness testimony presented at trial, by obtaining a more favorable safety rating, DLI lowered its insurance premium and increased its revenue from customers, some of whom were unwilling to use a motor carrier with a conditional safety rating. To further the scheme, Kirik submitted required forms to FMCSA which falsely represented that DLI’s principal address was in Dallas, Texas, among other bogus addresses.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
