Jason Clayworth

jclayworth@dmreg.com

The state is investigating whether an Iowa driving instructor who was convicted two years ago of supplying alcohol to his teenage students stole another instructor's identity so he could continue to teach, search warrants show.

Frederick Bindner of Mount Pleasant lost his teaching license over the 2012 alcohol-related conviction in an agreement he signed with the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners in April of this year. He is prohibited from teaching minors through August 2015, according to that agreement, which was obtained by The Des Moines Register.

But in June, Oxford parent Jean Feller began questioning the credentials of her 15-year-old son's driving instructor, who identified himself as Rick Speas.

Bindner, who in recent months has been working for Open Road Driving School in Iowa City, had taught Feller's oldest son several years ago. She said she recognized that "Speas" was Bindner.

After a few Google searches, Feller learned that Bindner was legally prohibited from teaching her son. She said Bindner taught 13 of 14 days of her son's classes and drove multiple times with him.

Feller confronted Bindner in June. She said the 64-year-old instructor acknowledged that he had lied about his identity and begged her not to go public with the information.

Feller said she declined to keep quiet because of her concerns about child safety and began speaking with parents. Soon after, on July 1, Burlington attorney Eric Benne sent Feller a letter on behalf of the Open Road Driving School, saying he became aware "that you have begun interfering and interrupting their business through your actions" by making false statements that opened her to accusations of libel or slander.

"I can assure you that it is not my client's desire to pursue legal action against you but if you continue to leave them no choice we will pursue every legal resolution available to put an end to your inappropriate and slanderous behavior," Benne wrote.

Benne declined to comment Thursday. Open Road Driving School owner Jennifer Turner took a call from the Register seeking comment from Bindner but declined to comment herself. Calls to Bindner at his home were not answered.

Feller reported Bind­ner to local law enforcement. She also notified the state's transportation and education departments. At the Register's request, Feller provided a copy of the narratives she gave to those departments.

"This is important. It's about the safety of our kids," Feller said.

There is a real Rick Speas, another driving instructor who lives in Union. He had no idea his identity had been stolen, according to a statement from Chris Leeman, an investigator with the state's transportation department. Leeman's statement was part of an unsealed search warrant application obtained Thursday by the Register.

"Based on the facts of this application and the information in the investigation, Mr. Frederick Donald Bindner purported to be an Iowa certified driver education instructor using the false name of Richard Speas," Leeman said in the statement.

Two search warrants allowed law enforcement to search the property of Bindner and his wife, Dinah, for bank statements, identification cards and other items.

State officials on July 9 seized four pages of payroll printouts dated June 28, a work history ledger and a laptop from the Bindner home. They also obtained a legal pad with "Rick Speas" listed in notations, documents show.

The investigation into the matter continues, and charges are possible, said Mike Athey, deputy director of the Iowa Department of Transportation's bureau of investigation and identity protection.

Bindner continues to teach adult students, which is not prohibited under his agreement.

SAME SCHOOL, DIFFERENT NAME?

State records suggest Open Road Driving School is the same business, under a new name, as the one Fred Bindner owned when he was arrested for supplying alcohol to his teenage students.

Four schools canceled contracts with Bindner's business — Auto Right Driving School — following media reports of his 2011 arrest for supplying alcohol to minors, according to documents from the state's education department.

He then sold the business to his daughter, although the documents do not list her by name.

Iowa secretary of state records show Jennifer Turner as the registered agent for both Auto Right and Open Road. They additionally link both businesses by the same business number.

Both business registrations also list 505 Courtland St. in Mount Pleasant as their home office address. That's also Fred Bindner's home address, public records show.

Jean Feller, the whistle-blowing parent, said she recognized the assignments her youngest son received from Open Road as essentially the same as the ones her older son completed years ago when he took the class with Auto Right.

Open Road is based in Mount Pleasant but offers classes in seven eastern Iowa locations, including Iowa City and Burlington, its website shows.

— Jason Clayworth

25 offenses in 20 years

Frederick Bindner, who has worked as an Iowa driver's instructor since 1988, has been convicted of 25 crimes in Iowa since 1994, state documents and online criminal records show.

In 2012, he pleaded guilty to two charges of supplying alcohol to minors. Those convictions stemmed from a June 2011 incident when he stopped at an Olive Garden restaurant with three teenage female students during a driving instruction break. While eating, Bindner had some wine and offered a sip to the students, two of which took a drink, state records show.

Bindner ultimately acknowledged he gave the students wine, but "told the police that he never even gave it a thought that it might be illegal," according to documents from the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners.

He was fined $500, ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and given a year of probation for each of the two counts, court records show.

Most of the other convictions were for driving offenses, including citations for parking in a handicapped spot, making a false report to law enforcement and failure to maintain control of a vehicle. He has received at least nine speeding tickets, including one for going at least 20 mph over the limit.

In addition, Bindner on July 1 was arrested in Johnson County on a charge of interference with official acts. The criminal complaint says he initially refused to give his name to a special agent in charge of investigating the legitimacy of his license to teach driver's education. It also alleges that he attempted to leave and had to be physically restrained.

— Jason Clayworth