Two former Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles employees are facing criminal charges after investigators say they fabricated 388 written driving tests, allowing customers to obtain learner’s permits and licenses without ever taking the exam. Gabriella Perry and Winters VanDyke are each wanted on active warrants, according to online court records, and both face charges that include bribery and official misconduct.
The scheme allegedly unfolded at the BMV’s Midtown branch in Indianapolis, where Perry worked as a team leader starting in 2020, according to WTHR. Investigators with the Indiana Office of Inspector General found that Perry produced 334 of the fake tests herself, while Perry identified VanDyke as the person who paid her for issuing the fraudulent results. Perry admitted accepting payments ranging from $75 to $100 for the fake tests in mid-2024, while VanDyke told investigators he was paid a couple hundred dollars per test.
Court documents describe how customers who had repeatedly failed the written exam in other languages would suddenly pass in English at the Midtown branch, drawing suspicion from staff. Many of the customers involved were known to speak English as a second language, and the two customers investigators interviewed are from Haiti. Instead of sitting for the actual 50-question exam, which the state requires test-takers to pass with a score of at least 80%, those two customers reportedly received their permits after only a vision test and a photo.
How Branch Staff Noticed the Pattern
The alleged fraud came to light in 2024 after employees at the BMV’s McCordsville branch noticed something odd: customers who had failed multiple written tests were suddenly showing up seeking permits or licenses. BMV representatives told WTHR it was unusual for a customer to take a written test at one branch and then obtain a license or permit at another, and that raised additional red flags for staff…