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( NUZ DIRECTOR’S NOTE: This press release was sent May 2, 2023)
Pennsylvania State Police Master Trooper Josh Whiteside reports that on December 9, 2022 PennDOT Risk Management Office contacted the Pennsylvania State Police Vehicle Fraud Investigations Unit that Greeter Ashwin PARI kept driver’s license camera card forms that are mailed to customers in his personal bag along with photographs of customer marriage certificates. A review of video surveillance by PennDOT management showed that Ashwin PARI used his cellphone to take pictures of a customer’s private information, such as driver’s licenses, social security cards, birth certificates, marriage licenses, utility bills and other documents. Upon learning of Ashwin PARI’s actions, PennDOT suspended him pending further investigation.
A Driver License Center Greeter is a PennDOT employee that assists customers with document preparation, answering basic license application questions and other minor customer service tasks. Greeters do not have access to the license database and cannot alter, change, print or download driver’s license information.
On December 14, 2022 Ashwin Pari was interviewed by Vehicle Fraud Investigators at the Pennsylvania State Police Lancaster station. His cellular phone that contained customer information was also seized at that time. PARI admitted that he took pictures of PennDOT customers’ personal information so that he could later examine their social media accounts.
The investigation did not yield that he uses the customer information for anything other than examining social media accounts.
Ashwin PARI is no longer employed by PennDOT
After consulting with the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, Ashwin PARI is charged with six counts of 75 Pa C.S. Vehicle Code § 6114 (a) (2) Limitation on Sale, Publication and Disclosure of Records, for unlawfully procuring PennDOT records. The charge is a Summary violation that carries a fine between $500-$1,000.
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