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AMSTERDAM, NY—Congressman Paul D. Tonko submitted a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) calling for any documents and information the agency has in connection with Shahed Hussain, the owner of Prestige Limousine.

“Recent press coverage of this tragedy has alleged that the Federal Bureau of Investigation may have shielded Mr. Hussain and his family over the years from various legal consequences as a reward for Mr. Hussain’s prior service as a confidential informant,” the letter states. “These disturbing allegations are of great concern to me as well as families who lost loved ones in this deadly crash.”

The letter continues, “I request a swift and detailed response on these allegations. Many of the victims of the Schoharie limousine crash were from my hometown of Amsterdam, New York. More than three years after the Schoharie limousine crash, the families still in mourning deserve to know the truth about these disturbing allegations as it relates to the devastating loss of their loved ones, and it is my hope and expectation that you can make this information available fully and without delay.”

Read the full letter below:

January 31, 2022 

The Honorable Christopher A. Wray 
Director 
Federal Bureau of Investigation 
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 
Washington, D.C. 20535 

Dear Director Wray, 

I write to you regarding the recent and disturbing allegations concerning possible Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) intervention on behalf of Shahed Hussain, the owner of Prestige Limousine.1 

As you may be aware, on Saturday, October 6, 2018, twenty people were killed in the deadliest transportation disaster our nation has seen in almost a decade. Prestige Limousine had been contracted to transport a group of 17 passengers in an oversized 2001 Ford Excursion when the brake system failed and the driver lost control of the vehicle, struck two pedestrians, and crashed into a ditch.2 Despite repeated citations from the New York State Department of Transportation, severe mechanical defects, and being ordered unserviceable a month before the crash, Prestige Limousine continued renting out this vehicle in direct violation of the law.3  

Recent press coverage of this tragedy has alleged that the Federal Bureau of Investigation may have shielded Mr. Hussain and his family over the years from various legal consequences as a reward for Mr. Hussain’s prior service as a confidential informant. According to New York Magazine reporting, when the National Transportation Safety Board addressed the public after the release of its full report on the crash, “..board members struggled to contain their fury. Much of it was directed at the Department of Transportation, which knew Prestige was a threat — the report counted 32 times the agency had interacted with the company — and failed to act.”1 These disturbing allegations are of great concern to me as well as families who lost loved ones in this deadly crash. To be clear, I am not aware of any evidence of FBI involvement on behalf of Prestige Limousine, but the families and our community deserve to hear whether these allegations hold any truth or are baseless.  

I request a swift and detailed response on these allegations. Many of the victims of the Schoharie limousine crash were from my hometown of Amsterdam, New York. More than three years after the Schoharie limousine crash, the families still in mourning deserve to know the truth about these disturbing allegations as it relates to the devastating loss of their loved ones, and it is my hope and expectation that you can make this information available fully and without delay. 

I request you provide the following materials by Monday, February 28, 2022: 

1. Documents and communications related to Mr. Shahed Hussain or Prestige Limousine.  
2. Documents and communications with the New York State Department of Transportation related to Mr. Shahed Hussain, Prestige Limousine, or the events of October 6, 2018. 
3. Documents and communications with the New York State Police and/or the Schoharie County District Attorney’s Office related to Mr. Shahed Hussain, Prestige Limousine, or the events of October 6, 2018. 

Additionally, I request that you make briefers available in advance of February 28, 2022, to discuss the communications listed above. Please know that I am available to receive any classified briefings or materials as it relates to this case in a House of Representatives Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility.  

I appreciate your engagement with the legislative branch on this issue and look forward to continuing to work productively as I and many others search for answers in this senseless tragedy.  

Sincerely, 

Paul D. Tonko 

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