BUFFALO, NY — According to the Wall Street Journal, a former field officer with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has been sentenced to 18 months for taking bribes from a consultant working with some Canadian trucking companies.

The report says, James Wood, 45, must also repay the estimated $41,300 he received from the consultants in payment for postponing safety audits and ensuring the companies passed inspections. The offences took place between 2008 and 2011.

Court documents also suggest that Wood might have been responsible for initiating complaint audits that could result in a carrier being fined or put out of business.

Wood pleaded guilty to the charges in June and was sentenced last week. He also lost his $80,000-a-year job with FMCSA as a result of the charges.

U.S. Prosecuting Attorney William Hochul said his office will not hesitate prosecuting “those who abuse their position.

“By accepting bribes,” he said, “this defendant not only abused his position of public trust, he also potentially put those who use public highways at risk.”