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Article Launched: 6/29/2006 12:00 AM

ID maker busted
Pomona man's sophisticated business lands him in jail


By Melissa Pinion-Whitt, Staff Writer
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

POMONA - Perfecto Cruz specialized in fake green cards, Social Security cards and driver's licenses.

He sold them to thousands of illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central America, as well as to some U.S. citizens, authorities said.

But when he was pulled over by sheriff's deputies late Tuesday, the one person he didn't have an identification card for was himself.

That mistake, and leaving fake green cards inside his vehicle, led San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies to a sophisticated fake ID business that they say Cruz, 29, operated out of his home.

It's a bust that sheriff's officials consider important, not only because of the business' potential effect on national security, but also the growing identity theft problem.

"It is a tremendous problem, not only for this city, but throughout the country, and when you get this type of operation, it can cost citizens hours and hours out of their lives and thousands of dollars,'' said San Bernardino County sheriff's Capt. Rick Carr, who heads the Chino Hills station.

Deputies arrested the Pomona man and booked him into Pomona Police Department's jail on suspicion of manufacturing and distributing official government documents, sheriff's Detective Robert Casas said.

The business, going under different names including "The Baby -- Quality Computer Work,'' accepted payments under the table and was advertised through distribution of business cards.

"A lot of his business comes through the Hispanic community and word of mouth,'' said sheriff's Deputy Martin Landaeta.

Cruz manufactured a variety of government cards over three years, including driver's licenses for all 50 states and Mexico, Social Security cards, green cards and Mexico-issued residency cards for illegal immigrants, deputies said.

The thousands of clients he's served met him at prearranged locations where the customer provided a photo and information, deputies said. Cruz then took the items back to his home, produced the IDs and brought them back to the customer. Because he had a mobile business, customers never went to his home, deputies said.

Prices for the cards ranged from $75 to $150, Casas said.

"He's been doing this for years now. He has no other source of income, except making fake government IDs, and he was making a lot of money at it,'' Casas said.

Deputies were in Pomona about 4 p.m. Tuesday conducting surveillance on a narcotics investigation when they said they saw Cruz and a customer exchanging cards near Caswell Avenue and Mission Boulevard.

He was pulled over nearby and deputies saw several green cards in his vehicle. He had no driver's license, deputies said.

Deputies searched his home and found several computers, laminators, scanners and software used to create IDs. The equipment alone was worth about $10,000.

Investigators also seized hundreds of sheets of blank Social Security cards, white plastic cards and ink cartridges used to create the green card metallic backing and gold holograms on driver's licenses.

In less than two hours after deputies began investigating the crime, more than 25 calls came to the man's cell phones from customers wanting fake identification.

One man, an illegal immigrant from Central America who unknowingly spoke to a detective, called to renew his green card and Social Security card.

He wanted the cards under a different name, deputies said.

Deputies said the charge of creating government documents carries up to a five-year prison term for each count filed by prosecutors.

Melissa Pinion-Whitt can be reached by e-mail at m_pinion-whitt@dailybulletin.com or by phone at (909) 483-9378.