The manager of two Paterson-based school bus companies that were accused of hiring unqualified drivers, operating unsafe buses, and failing to conduct mandatory drug testing and background checks on its employees pleaded guilty Monday in superior court, officials said.
“Mr. Rhodes has acknowledged playing a leadership role at these companies that misled and defrauded school districts and put children’s lives in danger,” New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in a statement. “Now he will be held accountable for not only committing these offenses, but also continuing to engage in the same crimes even after he and his employers were charged the first time.
Two of the company’s former bus drivers are facing criminal charges in Essex and Passaic counties for allegedly driving with one or more children on board while under the influence of drugs, according to a 2020 release from the office. Theand the other is a registered sex offender under Megan’s Law. A-1 used various tactics to avoid Motor Vehicle Commission inspections and citations including diverting unlicensed drivers away from inspection sites and having drivers keep their buses at their homes overnight, according to the statement.
American Star allegedly submitted documents to school districts certifying that the company’s drivers and aides were properly vetted and licensed as required by state law, when in fact employees who were not properly licensed, and in some cases had criminal backgrounds, were transporting the students, authorities said. Rhodes, a manager of A-1 Elegant, was employed in a supervisory capacity at American Star.