Caledon, ON — Two Caledon men have been sentenced to house arrest for their roles in operating a fraudulent truck driver training operation that charged dozens of students — many of them newly arrived Punjabi-speaking immigrants — thousands of dollars for unqualified instruction and falsified Ministry of Transportation certifications.
Gurvinder Singh, 69, and Gurpreet Singh, 37, both of Quebec, were found guilty of fraud over $5,000 and uttering forged documents following a five-week trial that revealed a widespread scheme involving fake trucker training programs.
The court heard that students were charged around $4,500 for incomplete and improper instruction, plus additional fees for interpreter assistance during testing.
Judge Cites ‘Greed’ But Rejects Jail Sentence
While Crown prosecutors sought a four-year prison term for the men — calling the operation a large-scale fraud — Justice Pierre Roger sided with the defence, emphasizing that while the offenders acted out of financial gain, the students did receive some level of training and follow-up support.
“Although the offenders did all these things for financial gain, greed as their sole motive is contradicted by some of the evidence,” said Justice Roger. “Most of the students passed their Class A licence tests and some found truck driving jobs. Although they were defrauded of proper MELT training, many were thankful for the basic skills they acquired.”
The court also considered mitigating factors such as the men’s clean criminal records and the community shame expected to result from their convictions.
Details of the Fraud Scheme
The investigation uncovered a network of fraudulent activity involving multiple individuals:
- Students were charged $4,000 to $5,000 for incomplete trucker training that failed to meet Ontario’s Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) standards.
- Interpreter Hanifa Khokhar was paid $200 to $400 per student to supply test answers during Ministry of Transportation exams, earning up to $34,000.
- A Caledon couple, Jagjeet and Charanjit Deol, fraudulently uploaded completion certificates to the government database, earning roughly $158,000 from the operation.
- The Deols’ private career college was used to make it appear that students had legitimately completed MELT training.
The scheme involved about 100 students, most of whom were South Asian newcomers, seeking affordable training to obtain a Class A commercial driver’s licence.
Sentences Handed Down
- Gurvinder Singh (69) — two years less a day of house arrest and 12 months probation.
- Gurpreet Singh (37) — two years less a day of house arrest, 12 months probation, and forfeiture of three Volvo trucks valued at approximately $100,000.
- Jagjeet Deol — two years less a day of house arrest and 12 months probation.
- Charanjit Deol — 12-month conditional discharge.
- Hanifa Khokhar — two years of house arrest.
- Mohamed Khokhar — 18 months of house arrest and one year probation.
Background on MELT Requirements
Ontario’s Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) program — introduced to enhance road safety — requires at least 103 hours of instruction covering vehicle inspection, defensive driving, cargo securement, and other safety standards before candidates can earn a Class AZ commercial driver’s licence.
The fraudulent training ring short-circuited these requirements, allowing unqualified drivers to enter the commercial trucking industry — a practice the judge described as “a serious breach of public trust and safety.”
Investigation Led by OPP and Sûreté du Québec
The year-long investigation was conducted jointly by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Sûreté du Québec, with the assistance of an undercover officer who helped expose the network’s operations.
While the offenders avoided jail time, Justice Roger emphasized that their actions caused reputational harm to the legitimate trucking training sector and exploited vulnerable newcomers seeking employment.