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PennDOT Employee Photographed Customer Docs., State Police Say

A 63-year-old Lebanon man admitted to taking pictures and personal information from customers while working at a PennDOT License Center, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. 

The PennDOT Licensing Center in Lancaster.

The PennDOT Licensing Center in Lancaster.

Photo Credit: Google Maps (Street View)

Ashwin Pari was working as a greeter at the Lancaster Driver’s License Center located at 2090 East Lincoln Highway when PennDOT Risk Management Office contacted State Police on December 9, 2022.

Investigators reviewed surveillance video inside the PennDOT facility and found Pari took photos with his cellphone of customer’s information on driver’s licenses, social security cards, birth certificates, marriage certificates, utility bills, and other documents.

Pari was interviewed by Vehicle Fraud Investigators and admitted to taking photos of people's documents “so that he could later examine their social media accounts," as stated in the release. His phone was seized during the interview on Dec. 14, 2022.

He did not use the customer’s information for anything other than examining their social media accounts, according to the police. 

His role as a greeter was to assist customers with document preparation, answering basic questions, or handling other minor tasks. Greeters do not have access to the license database and can not alter customer information, according to state police.

During the investigation, Pari was suspended by PennDOT and following its conclusion, he is no longer employed by the department, according to state police.

Pari was charged with six counts of “Limitation on Sale, Publication, and Disclosure of Records,” which is a summary violation that carries a fine between $500-1,000, state police said.

This is the second case of fraud at the PennDOT Licensing Center in Lancaster in 2022 that Daily Voice has reported on. You can read about the other man investigated for fake driver's tests here

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