ONTARIO, Canada — Gurvinder Singh, 69, and Gurpreet Singh, 37, two Indian immigrants, have been sentenced for operating fraudulent truck-driving schools that defrauded dozens of aspiring commercial drivers across Ontario.

The two men were found guilty of fraud following a five-week trial in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Investigators determined they ran unlicensed and non-compliant training programs that charged students between $4,000 and $5,000 for what was falsely advertised as certified instruction.

Court documents reveal that the pair skipped mandatory safety lessons, including air brake training, vehicle inspections, and highway driving. They also used forged documents and bribes to help students pass licensing exams.

The presiding judge described them as “masterminds” who exploited vulnerable newcomers seeking stable employment in the trucking industry. Both received two years less a day under house arrest, along with 200 hours of community service and a ban from all future truck-driver training activity.

“There is no question that the planning of the fraud was perpetrated by the offenders,” the judge wrote, highlighting the nearly 100 victims and the potential risk to public safety.

The case comes amid rising concerns over commercial driver training standards, as Ontario and national data show transport-truck collisions at a 10-year high in 2023.

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