A sweeping joint investigation by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations has led to the arrest of eight individuals allegedly involved in a driver’s license fraud scheme that targeted the Bay County Tax Collector’s Office.
Authorities say the operation involved illegal immigrants paying bribes to receive fraudulent driver’s licenses without proper testing. The case centers on two DMV employees—Bancelie Velazco and Demetrius Smith II, both of Panama City—who were allegedly issuing licenses in exchange for cash.
“These weren’t minor shortcuts; these were intentional acts of corruption,” said Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford. “Individuals paid bribes in exchange for skipping critical safety evaluations.”
Investigators uncovered financial records showing Velazco and Smith had received large sums of cash. The employees reportedly conducted an abnormal number of road exams—one performing nearly 300 in a single month—and used third-party intermediaries to funnel clients through the system.
Authorities seized $120,000 in cash from the homes of the two DMV employees.
Several intermediaries were also arrested, including:
Niurbis Rosales, owner of CubaMax, a Callaway-based immigration services company. She faces 24 counts of DMV Employee Issue Fraud DL and 24 counts of Official Misconduct.
Leonardo Gutierrez: 7 counts of each charge
Hung Du: 36 counts of each charge
Isbrieta Parra: 7 counts of each charge
Zoila Gonzalez-Pena, CubaMax employee: 12 counts of each charge
Additionally, Mirna Fernandez, also from Panama City, was arrested for obtaining a license by paying for a passing grade. She is charged with Unlawful Possession of a Driver’s License.
Bay County Tax Collector Chuck Perdue expressed outrage, saying, “I am angry and shocked to learn these two former employees engaged in fraudulent activity that violated the trust of our office and our community.”
Perdue noted red flags such as a spike in road exams—Smith performed 295 in one month, far exceeding the normal monthly average of 20–25.
He assured the public that internal processes would be reviewed: “We have a lot of opportunities for improvement, and I look forward to working with our state and law enforcement partners.”
The investigation remains active, with additional arrests and charges expected.
