Wayne Man Hired Unqualified Bus Drivers, Duped Schools: AG

PATERSON, NJ — Two brothers, including a Wayne resident, employed drivers with suspended licenses, arrest records and criminal convictions at their school bus company, according to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. The pair misled several school districts about the credentials of those driving their students, authorities said.

State Police took Shelim Khalique, of Wayne, and Jwel Khalique, of Totowa, into custody Tuesday on charges of conspiracy, false representation for a government contract and theft by deception. Jwel Khalique — owner and president of Paterson-based American Star Transportation LLC — was also charged with misconduct by a corporate official.

The Khalique's knowingly misrepresented the qualifications of the company and its employees in order to receive contracts from various school districts, the AG's office said. Those included districts in Paterson, Jersey City, Mahwah, River Edge and Franklin Lakes, among others.

The pair transferred the equipment, assets and employees from another bus company that faced legal trouble, authorities said. A-1 Elegant Tours, which Shelim Khalique owned, was brought up on criminal charges in June 2020 for similar misconduct, including providing false info to schools to conceal the hiring of unqualified driers, failing to conduct drug testing and criminal background checks, and operating unsafe buses, the AG's office said.

Authorities accused the Khalique's of submitting documents listing the names of certain drivers and aides who weren't properly licensed, had criminal backgrounds and/or transported the students while the listed drivers were assigned elsewhere.

A River Edge police officer pulled over an American Star driver Feb. 21 after the bus ran a stop sign, officials said. Investigators found the driver was unlicensed and had a pending case for patronizing a prostitute.

The brothers and their accomplices, who the AG's office didn't publicly identify, also employed several drivers who lacked proper credentials, authorities said. In some cases, mandatory records of fingerprinting, background checks and drug testing were incomplete, the AG's office said.

State laws and regulations require that school bus drivers and aides undergo drug testing and criminal background checks. Those with a criminal history or known substance-abuse issues cannot drive school buses.