Patrick Gorena, of Lyford, was a border investigator for Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, according to the release.
As part of his plea, Gorena admitted that when auditing a trucking company, he did not report safety violations that would have exposed the company to potential fines and the loss of their DOT license. In return, Gorena demanded $3,500, according to prosecutors. However, prosecutors said he ultimately accepted $2,000 from an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a representative of the trucking company.He was permitted to remain on bond pending his hearing for sentencing.