Thread: Alderman's father photo shop linked to bogus ID cards

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Official's dad nabbed on IDs
Alderman's father's photo shop linked to bogus cards
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By Jeff Coen
Tribune staff reporter

May 30, 2007

Federal prosecutors on Tuesday added the father of a Chicago alderman to a fake-ID case in which 22 people were charged last month.

Authorities cracked down on the operation in late April, saying they had shut down a $2 million operation that cranked out as many as 100 phony ID cards a day. Employees working in shifts made bogus driver's licenses, Social Security cards and resident alien cards.

Charged Tuesday was Elias Munoz, identified in court documents as the operator of Nuevo Foto Munoz, 3105 W. 26th St., a photo studio in the Little Village Discount Mall.

He is the father of Ald. Ricardo Munoz (22nd), who said after the April 25 raid that nothing illegal was taking place at his father's shop. On Tuesday, the alderman declined to make any statement on the charges.

A lawyer for Elias Munoz could not immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday.

The original criminal complaint alleged the shop was at the center of the scheme. Negotiations for the fake documents allegedly took place inside the business.

Authorities have said some of the documents sold for as much as $300 each.

Munoz is expected to appear in federal court at 9 a.m. Wednesday. The 62-year-old is charged with conspiring to produce false identification documents and aiding and abetting the schemers. He could face up to 5 years in prison.

On three consecutive days, the complaint says, undercover agents had photos taken at the shop and got bogus identification.

Among the items allegedly found in the shop were hundreds of blank Illinois and U.S. identification cards, blank laminates and information stamps. As part of the allegedly illegal work at the photo shop, authorities said, Munoz kept a box of blank order forms.

The daytime raid by gun-wielding agents in the Little Village neighborhood came just days before the latest large immigration march through downtown Chicago. U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald promised the federal action had no connection to the scheduled rally.

Julio Leija-Sanchez, 31, of Oak Lawn was charged as the ringleader in the case. Authorities alleged he had also conspired to have a competitor killed. Thirteen of the 22 people charged are in custody, authorities said Tuesday.

A government informant told authorities he used the shop for 10 years as he worked for the Leija-Sanchez organization, the complaint says.

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jcoen@tribune.com
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune

Hey, why are they picking on those hard working entrepreneurs? They are just trying to make a better life for themselves and do the jobs Americans wont do.

Hey Senator Burr, you want to give Amnesty to people like this?

Oh, senator Burr is out of town right now and doesn’t have time for his constituents.

Originally Posted by jp_48504

Hey, why are they picking on those hard working entrepreneurs? They are just trying to make a better life for themselves and do the jobs Americans wont do.

Hey Senator Burr, you want to give Amnesty to people like this?

Oh, senator Burr is out of town right now and doesn’t have time for his constituents.

Illinois Senators Obama and Durbin are making the rounds pleading for America to support the Scamnesty bill. As a matter of fact Obama was recently honored by LaRaza. Too bad Hillary one upped him and got Villagorosa to endorse her before Obama had a chance to grovel at his feet.