The crashed limousine had been cut apart and lengthened in a way that violated federal law, the Times reported.
Besides, Prestige Limousine recently failed an inspection of its cars and the driver of the crashed limousine did not have the proper license to operate the vehicle.
Robert Patnaude, a commander with the New York State Police, told reporters on Monday that Pakistani immigrant Shahed Hussain was currently outside the United States, possibly in Pakistan.
When asked about Hussain’s criminal record and whether he was the man who had testified in a federal criminal case in Albany in 2014, Patnaude said: “I would refer you to the FBI.”
The New York Times, using public records, has determined that Shahed Hussain shares the same name and address as a man who is a “former informant for the FBI who has testified in two prominent terrorism cases.”
The newspaper also reported that Hussain's company, Prestige Limousine, had a “history of suspicious dealings that seemed to extend to Dubai.”
Investigators hope the recovery of the limo’s “black box” will shed light on the cause of the accident.
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Autopsies of the victims are still being conducted at Albany Medical Center, and a list of the victims’ names will not be released until they are finished and all of the families have been notified.
Officials said that Tuesday’s crash is the country’s worst land-transportation accident since 2009.
