crime

Dunyadar Gasanov pleaded guilty to three counts of making false statements to federal investigators and falsifying security records.

The owner of the truck involved in a 2019 New Hampshire crash that killed seven motorcyclists pleaded guilty to federal charges on Tuesday.

Dunyadar Gasanov, also known as Damien Gasanov, 39, pleaded guilty to three counts of making false statements to federal investigators. He and his co-defendant Dartanayan Gasanov were originally charged in 2021.

Dunyadar Gasanov and Dartanayan Gasanov owned Westfield Transport, Inc., according to a statement from the office of Acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy. Their company owned and operated the truck involved in the fatal crash.

Dartanayan Gasanov pleaded not guilty to similar charges and is awaiting trial.

Dunyadar Gasanov admitted to lying about when he met Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, the driver prosecutors blamed for the accident. Dunyadar Gasanov told investigators he met Zhukovskyy the day he hired the driver, according to Levy’s office.

However, according to the statement, Dunyadar Gasanov had been friends with Zhukovskyy for years. He also knew that Zhukovskyy had previously been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the prosecutor’s office.

In June 2019, Zhukovskyy’s truck collided with a group of motorcyclists on the road in Randolph, New Hampshire. He had taken cocaine, fentanyl and heroin before getting behind the wheel. Seven motorcyclists died.

In 2022, a jury found Zhukovskyy not guilty on seven counts of manslaughter, seven counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of reckless conduct, all related to the crash. New Hampshire safety authorities rejected Zhukovskyy’s application to renew his driver’s license earlier this year.

“There are all kinds of ways to ensure public safety. This case is about ensuring that commercial vehicle operators follow all necessary safety procedures and regulations. We will not forget the lives lost in June 2019 in connection with this conviction,” Levy said. “This defendant disregarded laws that are critical to public safety and he endangered all road users, with tragic consequences here.”

Dunyadar Gasanov faces up to 24 years in prison and fines of up to $750,000.