'Easy Driving Licenses': Nine Driving Schools Seized in Caserta

This morning, State Police personnel from the Caserta Police Headquarters executed the precautionary seizure order pursuant to Article 321 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, issued on December 9, 2019, by the Court of Santa Maria Capua Vetere - Preliminary Investigations Office, concerning nine driving schools and fifteen driving licenses. The seizure was ordered following a complex investigation begun in 2015 and conducted by the Caserta Flying Squad, jointly with the local DIGOS, under the coordination of this Public Prosecutor's Office. This investigation dismantled a criminal conspiracy consistently dedicated to the corruption of public officials and the tampering with administrative procedures for issuing driving licenses. Through a well-established mechanism consisting of paying large sums of money to obtain a driving license, the criminal organization guaranteed that the interested party would pass the tests at the Caserta Motor Vehicle Office thanks to previous corrupt agreements reached with both the Director and some employees who acted as examiners.

In particular, FERRARO Silvestro and IPPOLITO Assunta, as de facto manager and legal representative of the “Silvano” driving school in the capacity of promoter and organizer of the criminal association, maintained contact with corrupt public officials, constantly remunerated through the financial resources of the common fund, fed by the sums of money paid by candidates/clients (who intended to illegally obtain suitability for the theoretical test to obtain the category B driving license/or the license revision) or, on their behalf, by the owners of the associated driving schools and private procurers. FERRARO remunerated the public officials in service at the Caserta Motor Vehicle Department and, specifically, the Director of the Motor Vehicle Department AURILIO Gaetano examiners, BARBATO Antonio, LONGOBARDI Raffaele and OCELLO Pasquale; AURILIO Gaetano, as Director of the Civil Motorization of Caserta, participated in the aforementioned association by arranging, at the explicit request of FERRARO Silvestro to accept the registration of candidates coming from provinces other than that of Caserta, to arrange ad hoc sessions to be assigned to the accomplices, previously identified and agreed with FERRARO, assigning to said sessions for obtaining the driving license and the revision the corrupt examiners indicated below, also belonging to the association, receiving in exchange illicit monetary compensation; BARBATO Antonio, LONGOBARDI Raffaele and OCELLO Pasquale who, in turn, in violation of their official duties, as "examiners", assigned by the Director to the examination sessions previously indicated by FERRARO, participated in the aforementioned association by omitting, during the exams, to carry out the necessary and/or regular checks on the identity of the candidates present, allowed the participation in the exam tests of the associates having the role of so-called substitutes/prompters; as well as drawing up false exam reports, receiving in exchange from FERRARO financial compensation; The operation also involved other owners of driving schools who, as organic members of the criminal association, through FERRARO Silvestro - the association's contact - agreed with public officials in order to divert the candidates to a rigged exam session.

The managers of the driving schools involved are

FERRARO Donato (born in Marcianise on 23.03.1951) manager and partner of the “Ferraro” driving school located in Marcianise, as well as of several driving schools located in the Province of Frosinone and in particular the Serena driving school located in Cassino, the “Serena l” driving school located in Roccasecca and the “Ferraro srl” driving school also located in Cassino; FERRARO Giuseppe, known as Tiziano, son of FERRARO Donato as owner of the FERRARO driving school; ARPINO Francesco, owner of the “Mario” driving school in Mondragone; and FUSCO Pasquale owner of the Easy Drive driving school; DI DIO FRANCO, as owner of the “San Francesco” driving school in Maddaloni. IADICICCO Francesco (an “illegal” employee of FERRARO Silvestro’s driving school), DI DIO VINCENZO, brother of DI DIO Franco (de facto managers and partner with FERRARO Silvestro of the Maddaloni “San Francesco” driving school) and FERRARO Francesco, as a collaborator of Ferraro Giuseppe’s FERRARO driving school. participated in the association by taking the “rigged” exam tests with the role of substitutes/prompters, in particular IADICICCO and FERRARA Francesco presented false documentation showing a date of birth that did not correspond to the actual one; The organization had contacts (MALAY Xhoni) who consistently procured candidates coming mainly from the Northern area or of foreign origin.

Based on the investigative findings collected, on September 29th a precautionary measure was executed that provided for the custody in prison of 8 subjects and house arrest of a further 5 suspects. At the request of this Prosecutor's Office, the GIP Office issued a preventive seizure order concerning the driving schools attributable to the participants of the criminal association:

1) ARPINO DRIVING SCHOOL (Formerly MARIO) - Located in Mondragone (CE) at via Benevento 14, actually located in Mondragone (CE) at via Razzino nr. l. Sole proprietorship of ARPINO Francesco born in Caserta on 15.7.1981, resident in Mondragone (CE) at via Padova 9.

2) BEATRICE MARIA FERRARO DRIVING SCHOOL - Located in Marcianise (CE) in via G. Pascoli nr. 8, with tax domicile in Marcianise (CE) in Piazza Carità nr. 8. Sole proprietorship of BEATRICE Maria born in Marcianise (CE) on 29.03.1956 (wife of Ferrara Donato, born on 23.3.1951), resident in Marcianise (CE) in Piazza Carità nr.8.

3) DENNY DRIVING SCHOOL by FERRARO GIUSEPPE - Located in Montefiascone (VT) at via della Croce nr.24/26, with tax domicile in Caserta at via Mascagni parco Russo snc. Sole proprietorship of FERRARO Giuseppe, born in Naples on 26.3.1975, resident in Caserta at via Mascagni parco Russo snc

4) EASY DRIVE SNC DRIVING SCHOOL - Located in Santa Maria Capua Vetere (CE) at via Mario Fiore nr.2/4, with tax domicile at the same address. General partnership - Representative: FUSCO Pasquale born in Caserta on 22.6.1970, resident in Marcianise (CE) at via Giudice Falcone 4, P.co del Sole.

5) SERENA DRIVING SCHOOL by FERRARO DONATO – Located in Cassino (FR) at via Donizetti nr. 15, with tax domicile in Piedimonte San Germano (FR), at via Decorato nr. 79. Sole proprietorship of FERRARO Donato, born in Marcianise (CE) on 23.3.1951, resident in Piedimonte San Germano (FR) at via Decorato 79.

6) FERRARO SRL (Driving School) – Located in Cassino (FR) at via Donizetti nr. 15 bis, with tax domicile at the same address. Limited liability company – Representative: FERRARO Giuseppe, born in Naples on 26.3, resident in Caserta at via Mascagni, parco Russo snc

7) IPPOLITO ASSUNTA (Ex SILVANO Driving School) – Located in Capodrise (CE) at Piazza Casafusco snc, with tax domicile in Marcianise (CE) at Via Nicola Gaglione no. 26. Sole proprietorship of IPPOLITO Assunta, born in Marcianise (CE) on 10.8.1957, resident there at Via Nicola Gaglione no. 26 (Wife of FERRARO Silvestro, born in Sparanise (CE) on 15.9.1958, resident in Campo di Giove (AQ) at Via S. Rocco no. 42, de facto domiciled in Marcianise (CE) at Via N. Gaglione no. 26.

8) VIFRA SAN NICOLA di DI DIO FRANCO (Driving School) – Located in San Nicola La Strada (CE) at via Bronzetti nr. 1/3 corner of via Appia, with tax domicile in Marcianise (CE) at via Saverio Merola nr. 21. Sole proprietorship of DI DIO Franco, born in Marcianise (CE) on 23.12.1984, residing there at via Saverio Merola nr. 21 (replaced the DRIVING SCHOOL SAN FRANCESCO) currently suspended with a provision issued by the Province of Caserta Technical Area Prot. n. 0035735 of 4.10.2019).

9) VIFRA di DI DIO VINCENZO (Driving School) – Located in Maddaloni (CE) at via San Francesco d'Assisi nr. 161, with tax domicile in Recale (CE) at via Enrico Toti nr. 24.

At the same time, the driving licences obtained by the boys through illicit means were confiscated following corrupt agreements between the owners of the driving schools and the employees of the Motor Vehicle Department.