Woman indicted in fraud case
Bethlehem resident accused of selling Social Security cards.

By Matt Birkbeck | Of The Morning Call
May 31, 2008

A federal grand jury has indicted a Bethlehem woman on charges she sold Social Security cards and fake identities from her apartment.

Andrea Navarijo, 49, of 1029 Mechanic St., was charged Wednesday with nine counts of selling Social Security cards and one count of aggravated identity theft following a 16-month sting during which Navarijo allegedly sold the identification to an informant working for federal customs agents.

''This type of illegal activity is another form of identity theft, and it is not uncommon,'' said Patrick L. Meehan, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District in Philadelphia.

''Identity theft, as we all know, has devastating consequences for the person whose identity is stolen but also threatens the vitality of our economic systems,'' Meehan said.

Navarijo, if convicted, faces up to 49 years in prison and a $2.5 million fine.

She is in custody.

According to court documents, Navarijo is an illegal immigrant from Guatemala who brokered sales of Social Security cards and other identification with Hispanic surnames originally issued in Puerto Rico.

Using the name ''Maria Ponce,'' Navarijo allegedly charged customers $1,000 for both documents, and $800 for identification for minors.

Customs agents, along with agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, used their informant to buy the identification directly from Navarijo from October 2006 through March 2008, each time paying a $500 deposit for each order.

The informant wore a recording device for each purchase.

When the final purchase was completed on March 31, 2008 Navarijo had sold nine sets of documents, complete with a Social Security card and birth certificate with the same name.

The Social Security Administration confirmed that the cards had been issued to individuals residing in the United States, prosecutors said.

matthew.birkbeck@mcall.com

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