Doctor Pleads Guilty to Falsifying Medical Examination Records for Commercial Truck Drivers

ATLANTA - Dr. Anthony Lefteris has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of falsifying documents and to entering false information into the records of the U.S. Department of Transportation (“USDOT”) for selling false medical certifications used to obtain commercial driver’s licenses.

“Dr. Lefteris was entrusted to examine commercial vehicle drivers to make certain that they were physically fit to drive safely,” said U. S. Attorney John Horn. “Instead, he failed to perform the required examinations and falsified the results of his tests, ultimately making our roads less safe for the rest of us.”

“As evidenced by the guilty plea entered into today by Dr. Anthony Lefteris for falsifying U. S. Department of Transportation medical applications for commercial driver's licenses, we remain unwavering in our commitment to ensuring the safety of the traveling public on our Nation's roadways,” said Marlies Gonzalez, Regional Special Agent-in-Charge for the USDOT OIG. “Working with our departmental, law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue to identify, pursue, and bring to justice individuals who jeopardize the integrity of DOT's safety programs.”

“I am extremely proud of the men and women of the Motor Carrier Compliance Division for their role in this complicated and intricate case. We are honored to have such a strong working relationship with our federal partners and look forward to a continued partnership to ensure a safer environment for the motoring citizens of our state,” said Colonel Mark W. McDonough, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Public Safety.

According to U.S. Attorney Horn, the charges and other information presented in court: One mission of the USDOT is to promote the safety of America's roadways through the promulgation and implementation of medical regulations, guidelines, and policies for the physical qualification of commercial motor vehicle drivers. When individuals seek to obtain or renew a state issued commercial driver’s license, they must submit to a medical examination performed by a medical examiner listed on the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners. They must also be medically certified as physically qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle. These medical examinations ensure that these drivers do not suffer from ailments that would otherwise affect their ability to drive a commercial vehicle safely.

Lefteris was a USDOT medical examiner who admitted he failed to perform certain procedures during medical examinations. Some of the procedures he failed to perform were required vision and hearing examinations, and urinalyses. He then completed USDOT medical examination forms for drivers he examined on which he falsely included figures and information representing the results for procedures he did not perform.

Lefteris also issued USDOT Medical Examiner’s Certificates to drivers certifying them as physically fit to drive even though he did not conduct a complete examination. Lefteris subsequently transmitted his results to the USDOT, fraudulently certifying that the medical examinations were conducted in accordance with federal regulations. In return, the drivers paid him cash, sometimes $65 per certification.

Sentencing for Anthony Lefteris, 72, of Atlanta, Georgia, is scheduled for August 28, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Georgia Department of Public Safety Motor Carrier Compliance Division.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracia King is prosecuting the case.

For further information, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.