Owners, Drivers Sentenced for Fraud

The owners of a trucking company in Hartsville, S.C., and two of their drivers were sentenced for a scheme that put unqualified drivers behind the wheels of commercial trucks, the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General announced.

John E. and Linda M. Blackwell, owners of Blackwell Auto Brokers, and two drivers — William L. Watford and Joe H. Eddins, Jr. — received sentence Feb. 4 in federal District Court in Florence, S.C.

The defendants had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud.

Witnesses testified during the trial that the Blackwells encouraged Watford and Eddins to drive for the company despite knowing the two men were not qualified. The couple allowed Watford and others to falsify identification and records checked by trucking regulators, and also provided false information about Watford to insurance companies.

John and Linda Blackwell were placed on five years’ probation.

For the full story, see the March 1 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.