BOISE, IDAHO — A Meridian man admitted in federal court to offering a CDL skills test examiner $500 cash in exchange for a passing score he never earned — all to remove three restrictions from his commercial driver’s license without taking the required test.
Ryan Basnaw, 29, pleaded guilty to federal program bribery on March 30, 2026, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho.
On July 2, 2025, Basnaw approached a CDL skills tester and offered $500 cash for a passing score. He had not taken the test. His goal was to remove three restrictions from his existing CDL without going through the required skills examination. The Idaho Transportation Department contracts with third-party examiners to administer CDL skills tests across the state. In 2025, ITD’s Department of Motor Vehicles received more than $10,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation under a CDL Program Implementation Grant.
Basnaw faces up to 10 years in federal prison, a minimum of three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for June 16, 2026. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Mazorol is prosecuting the case. The FBI and the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General investigated.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.
