The owner of an Island Lake trucking firm has been charged by federal authorities who allege he wired up applicants to help them cheat on Illinois commercial driver’s license exams.
Mykola Datkun, 33, of Port Barrington, was charged earlier this month in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Datkun faces one felony count of attempt or conspiracy to commit fraud by identification document, authentication feature or a false identification document.
Datkun owned and operated Maximum Services Inc., which is based out of 4405 Roberts Road in Island Lake.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine O’Neill said Datkun, along with others, knowingly and intentionally conspired to help others obtain Illinois commercial learner’s permits (CLP) and commercial driver’s licenses (CDL).
Datkun knew the documents were “produced without lawful authority,” O’Neill said in charging documents.
Datkun agreed with co-conspirators to help individuals cheat on the written Illinois CDL examination so that they could obtain CLPs and CDLs from the Illinois Secretary of State, O’Neill said.
O’Neill said Datkun directed individuals to his company’s location in Island Lake where he and others provided the test takers with an earpiece.
The earpiece was connected to the test taker’s phone through a wire that placed the microphone receiver near the test taker’s shirt collar.
The test takers then went to the Illinois Secretary of State facility in Elk Grove Village to take their written examination.
Once the test takers arrived, they were directed to call a phone number where they communicated with Datkun or others via their earpiece and microphone receiver while taking the CDL examination, O’Neill said.
The test takers were specifically told to take the audio version of the test and to place the headphones that the testing facility provided around their shirt collar, which was where the microphone receiver was concealed so the person listening could hear the questions in real-time.
The person listening would relay answers to the question to the individual taking the examination.
O’Neill said Datkun and the co-conspirators charged the test takers at least $500 to help them cheat.
Court records show Datkun surrendered on the charges last week and pleaded not guilty.
A pre-trial discovery conference is scheduled for Wednesday.