A trucking company owner from Rochester, New York, has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for lying about safety violations in his business operations.

The details: Tony Kirik, 43, ran a multi-million-dollar enterprise called Dallas Logistics but falsified documents when applying for FMCSA authority. He claimed his company had a better safety record than it did.

• Kirik tried to deceive federal authorities by using family and employees' names to set up new companies, presenting them as independent, reported by the Justice Department.

The impact: His actions posed a risk to national road safety, as confirmed at the trial. The investigation was led by the Department of Transportation and the IRS.

What's next: Kirik will serve his 45-month sentence as part of his conviction for lying to the FMCSA and conspiring to do so.