MCSO Dismantles Suspected ID Forgery Operation
Donna Rossi
Reporter, KPHO.com

POSTED: 6:57 pm MST February 1, 2010
UPDATED: 9:30 pm MST February 1, 2010


PHOENIX -- Maricopa County sheriff’s deputies have arrested five people in connection with a suspected illegal forgery operation.

The arrests came after a six-month undercover investigation that started with a tip to the MCSO illegal immigration hot line.

Deputies served two separate search warrants -- one at a trailer, the other at a home -- both in southeast Phoenix. They seized computer equipment, weapons, ledgers and hundreds of forged documents, including Social Security cards, driver’s licenses and permanent residency cards issued by the federal government.

Deputies booked two suspects, Eduardo Chavez-Elizalde and Federico Velasco-Lopez, on charges alleging they ran a forgery operation. Investigators said both are believed to be illegal immigrants. Sheriff Joe Arpaio believes they are the leaders of the ring.

The three others arrested have been turned over to federal immigration agents.

Sheriff’s deputies have reason to believe the forgery ring has been operating for the past year and may have provided hundreds, if not thousands of illegal immigrants false identification and documents in order for them to get work.

The investigation will continue as detectives examine the hard drives of the computers seized and meticulously go through the ledgers confiscated in the searches.

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