Trucking company owner arrested for bribe

The owner of a Chicago trucking company was arrested yesterday on federal bribery charges for allegedly attempting to pay a $2,000 bribe, and later paying a $4,000 bribe, to a federal transportation safety official last month in exchange for improving an unsatisfactory rating on the company’s safety compliance review. The Dept. of Justice ordered K&W Trading Co., owned by defendant Hei Yeng Kwok,

May 14, 2003

The Dept. of Justice ordered K&W Trading Co., owned by defendant Hei Yeng Kwok, to cease all interstate trucking operations last week. Kwok was charged with bribery in a criminal complaint.

According to the complaint, a specialist with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) began performing a full safety compliance review of K&W Trading in January. The review was not completed, however, because K&W did not produce certain documents necessary to properly evaluate K&W’s compliance with federal regulations.

K&W failed to produce any documents whatsoever relating to approximately 10 truck drivers that, according to Kwok, were employed by K&W. On March 5, Kwok signed a form acknowledging that K&W has been given an “unsatisfactory” rating by the FMCSA based on its failure to provide the required safety-related information.