Investigations

Shabtai Shay Mashiah, an employee of First Class Van Lines, Miami, FL, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Miami, FL, to charges of defrauding customers by holding their household goods hostage until they paid additional charges, inflated well above the company?s estimate. A large undercover operation involving OIG, the FBI, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration resulted in the filing of charges in March against 16 companies and 74 individuals in the Miami area who victimized 325 customers. Mashiah?s plea was the first from the 57 individuals who were arrested in the case. His sentencing is scheduled for October 10.