The owner of a school bus company in New Jersey was sentenced to five years in state prison for endangering students by hiring unqualified drivers, reported Shore News.

The owner of the company, Ahmed Mahgoub, was sentenced on Jan. 23, after it came to light that the company was failing to perform drug tests and conduct background checks on drivers. It was also reported that the drivers were operating unsafe vehicles.

Mahgoub, 65, owned F&A Transportation, Inc., and pleaded guilty last year to false representation for government contract. His company, which operated in multiple counties, including Essex, Passaic, Morris and Union, secured public school transportation contracts worth $3.5 million from 2016 to 2020.

According to the article, an investigation by the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) and the New Jersey State Police found that Mahgoub hired drivers without valid commercial licenses or criminal background checks.

Some drivers reportedly had criminal records, suspended licenses, or even substance abuse problems. In addition, Mahgoub and his company falsified vehicle inspections forms to cover up safety violations. New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission inspections in 2019 found that nearly all of the company’s buses failed.

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said via the article that Mahgoub not only flouted government regulations and standards but also risked the lives of children. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Mahgoub and F&A Transportation must pay $500,000 in corruption profiteering penalties and are banned from doing business with the state for 10 years.

F&A co-owner Faiza Ibrahim, 50, also reportedly entered a pretrial intervention and faces her own penalties.

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Following Britton Smith’s resignation in September, Blue Bird tapped John Wyskiel as his replacement, effective Feb. 17.

Smith was slated to take over CEO and president last Sept. 29, as current CEO Phil Horlock was set to retire. However, Smith announced his resignation just weeks prior. Horlock, who served as president and CEO from 2011 to 2021 and then again in May 2023 remained as CEO, as the company sought a replacement.

Enter Wyskiel, an automotive industry veteran with over “35 years of experience in manufacturing leadership, operational excellence and global sales and supply chain management,” stated a Blue Bird press release on Wednesday.

From 2002 to 2004, Wyskiel served as the general manager of Blue Bird Coach in Canada, part of Blue Bird Corporation. According to a press release it was one of the largest school bus body and assembly manufacturers of Type C and Type A school buses located in Brantford, Ontario. Blue Bird Coach Canada was not a part of Blue Bird’s joint venture with Girardin to build Micro Bird models in Quebec.

Wyskiel then embarked on a 20-year career at Magna International, most recently serving as president of Magna Seating. There, he led a $6 billion business with 33,000 employees across more than 60 manufacturing facilities in 15 counties. He also served as vice president of Magna’s Body & Structures business in Canada and the U.S.

“His extensive background includes various senior roles in manufacturing, operations, engineering, product management and sales at automotive suppliers Magna, Dana Corporation and Borg Warner,” the Blue Bird press release adds.

“I’m thrilled to return to Blue Bird, an iconic American company,” Wyskiel stated. “I’m passionate about building scalable operations and leading high-performance teams to drive continuous improvement. I look forward to working with the entire Blue Bird team and dealer network to execute our strategic initiatives and to deliver sustained profitable growth.”

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Wyskiel will also join the Blue Bird board of directors on Feb. 17. Horlock will remain on the board to ensure a smooth transition.

“John’s deep and varied expertise in operational excellence and manufacturing leadership makes him an ideal fit for this role at this time,” said Doug Grimm, chairman of Blue Bird Corporation. “His proven track record will be invaluable as we expand our footprint and improve our operational processes to support our customers.”

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