SB QST @ ARL $ARLB105
ARLB105 FCC acts in alleged exam, license fraud cases

ZCZC AG06
QST de W1AW  
ARRL Bulletin 105  ARLB105
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  December 18, 1998
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB105
ARLB105 FCC acts in alleged exam, license fraud cases

The FCC has acted in several Amateur Radio cases where it appears
that individuals attempted to obtain an Amateur Radio license or
upgrade by fraud or misrepresentation.

On December 14, the FCC downgraded two amateur licensees and
canceled the ticket of a third in Michigan. Busted from Advanced to
Tech Plus were Lawrence A. Repp Jr., N8HFN, and Alan E. Quirie,
KA8ZRR. The FCC pulled the Tech Plus ticket of Steven A. Penn,
formerly KC8HUM. The FCC had not updated its database as of December
17.

The Commission said the three filed amateur applications claiming to
have taken Amateur examinations at Oak Park, Michigan, on June 3,
1997, at an ARRL VEC session. The FCC says its evidence shows that
the three did not sit for the exams. It says their names ''were added
and signatures forged, sometime after the tests were administered,
by one of the four examiners.'' That examiner--the father of one of
the exam candidates involved--reportedly forwarded the session
package on behalf of the VE team to the ARRL VEC for FCC filing.

The FCC said that three of the examiners knew nothing of the scheme.
The other three VEs brought the situation to the attention of the
ARRL VEC and the FCC. The FCC said it would act in the case of the
fourth examiner by month's end. The Commission also is looking into
possible enforcement action against another ham whose name was added
to the list after the test session but whose application never was
submitted to the FCC.

The FCC also dismissed two amateur applications in Puerto Rico after
the applicants failed to reply to FCC inquiries. In the case of Jose
R. Velez-Rivera, an FCC official said it appears that an imposter
tried to change another amateur's call sign, address, and date of
birth to his own to get a license without taking an exam. In the
second case, the FCC dismissed the renewal and General class upgrade
application of Hector A. Santiago, WP4DCB. An FCC official said it
appears Santiago tried to renew as a General when he only had a
Novice ticket.

Velez-Rivera and Santiago were notified by the FCC October 23. The
FCC updated its database this month to reflect the dismissals.
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