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Maine Man Charged in Unlicensed CDL Training Scheme
State Alleges $28,100 Paid by Students for Entry-Level Driver Training; Jail Time Possible
Key Takeaways:
- Prosecutors allege Paul A. Rumery operated an unlicensed CDL training school and charged students from January 2024 through March 2026.
- Authorities say students paid between $2,700 and $5,100 for training that allegedly did not lead to road testing.
- Rumery faces one Class E charge and seven Class C felony theft charges and is scheduled for arraignment April 30.
A Maine man is being prosecuted for allegedly operating an unlicensed commercial driver license training school and taking $28,100 from people seeking entry-level driver training.
Paul A. Rumery of Sanford has been charged with eight criminal offenses in Maine Superior Court in York County, alleging he conducted CDL training without authorization and charged students for instruction.
On March 16, a judge signed an arrest warrant and affidavit sought by Detective William Moir of the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
RELATED: New York DMV employees charged
According to the criminal complaint, Rumery allegedly conducted driver education, operated a CDL school or acted as an instructor without a license from Jan. 1, 2024, to March 2, 2026.
Jail Time Possible
Rumery faces one count of driver education violation, a Class E offense punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, and seven counts of theft by deception, Class C felonies carrying possible penalties of up to five years of incarceration and $5,000 fines.
The 11-page arrest warrant and affidavit allege Rumery provided entry-level driver training to multiple people from different companies.
Moir said he became aware of the purported unlicensed CDL school in August 2024. During the investigation, a student provided a photograph of a business card for “The Way of the Road Trucking Academy,” listing the name “Paulie Rumery” and the title “State of Maine CDL Instructor,” according to the affidavit.
Some alleged victims were entered into an online road test portal as if they were employees of a company where Rumery worked, which had authority to train its own drivers.
Undercut Licensed Schools
Moir said students attending state BMV-licensed CDL schools typically paid “thousands of dollars more” than the $2,800 fee Rumery’s students allegedly paid, creating an incentive to enroll in his classes. The driving portion was reportedly conducted at a pit owned by Thyng’s Paving in Lyman. “There is no evidence at this point that on-road testing occurred,” Moir wrote.
The investigator noted that while large companies may train their own employees for CDLs, teaching non-employees requires a BMV-issued instructor license.
During the investigation, Moir learned Rumery had separated from his employer and no longer had access to the company’s online road test portal. As a result, students allegedly could only take written exams and receive permits.
Most complaints were filed after students’ permits expired without Rumery allegedly submitting road test applications to the BMV, according to the affidavit.
Because of the alleged fraudulent training, some students later paid to attend licensed CDL schools. Victims reportedly paid tuition ranging from $2,700 to $5,100, sometimes through employers such as excavation, tree service and septic pumping companies.
Moir said he met Rumery at the Sanford Police Department in September 2024. Rumery allegedly admitted to teaching about 30 students and acknowledged that not all individuals entered into the testing portal were company employees. Moir said he warned Rumery he would be arrested if he continued teaching.
Soon afterward, Rumery was issued a summons for operating an unlicensed driver’s education school, and court proceedings began in November 2024 in a case that remains pending.
Theft by Deception
Five theft by deception charges involve people who allegedly paid Rumery in 2024, while two involve students seeking training in 2025.
On Oct. 24, 2025, Moir met with a man who said he was a CDL student and provided a copy of a $3,500 check dated Jan. 15, 2025, allegedly paid to Rumery for training.
The affidavit lists several alleged victims and amounts paid, including payments made by small businesses on behalf of employees.
Moir also wrote that a CDL class Rumery was scheduled to teach at the South Portland Fire Department was canceled after the fire chief learned Rumery was not licensed.
Ron Vance, owner of GoDriving.Co, a licensed CDL training school in Saco, is listed as a complainant, alleging Rumery took business away from his school.
Rumery is scheduled to be arraigned April 30.
