Dorian Ayache and Theresa Vincent were indicted earlier this month by a federal grand jury on charges related to the violation of U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, David Rivera, acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, announced Sept. 12.

The indictment charges Ayache with nine counts of violating DOT regulations, one count of conspiring to defraud the United States, and two counts of obstructing a grand jury investigation. Vincent was charged with conspiring to defraud the United States and with one count of perjury.

According to the indictment, Ayache was the owner and operator of Three Angels Farms, an interstate commercial carrier based in Lebanon, Tenn., and Vincent was the owner and supposed operator of Terri’s Farm, an interstate commercial carrier based in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

In June 2012 DOT deemed that the operations of Three Angels Farms posed an imminent hazard to public safety and issued an order requiring Ayache to cease commercial motor vehicle operations. The DOT’s order was based on Ayache’s unacceptable safety practices, including his failure to adequately maintain his commercial motor vehicles and his failure to ensure that drivers were qualified, and cited 2012 accidents that resulted in fatal injuries to horses being transported. (Editor’s Note: For more on the 2012 accidents, see "Tennessee Trailer Rollover Accident Probed" and "Truck Driver Cited in Tennessee Horse Trailer Incident" on TheHorse.com