Thread: Driver's license fraud alleged

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Driver's license fraud alleged
DMV office manager and wife charged with selling phony licenses
BY PAUL BRADLEY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, July 13, 2005


RELATED: Police Beat

ALEXANDRIA -- The manager of a DMV office in Springfield and his wife were arrested yesterday on charges they sold phony Virginia driver's licenses for up to $3,500 each to illegal immigrants.

The office is in Springfield Mall, about 3 miles from the Department of Motor Vehicles office in Franconia, where seven of the Sept. 11 hijackers obtained bogus Virginia ID cards.

Francisco J. Martinez, 57, and Miriam Martinez, 56, both of Stafford, each were arrested on federal charges of conspiracy to commit document fraud, a crime that carries a potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Illegal immigrant held
Also arrested yesterday was Daniel Jose Guardia Lopez, 25, an illegal immigrant from Bolivia now living in Alexandria.

According to court papers, Lopez confessed to his role in the phony document scheme and implicated the Martinez couple in it. Lopez told authorities he found clients -- most illegal immigrants from his native Bolivia -- for the scheme, collecting $500 for each customer he brought to the Martinez couple.

In all, court papers said, Francisco and Miriam Martinez provided bogus licenses to about 50 people between January 2001 and this month. The final two transactions, however, involved undercover police officers, resulting in yesterday's arrests.

Court papers said Martinez has worked for the DMV since 1990 and has managed the DMV office in Springfield Mall since April 2001. His wife worked as a DMV clerk in Tysons Corner from 1996 to 1998 and for a short time in 2003.

"This agency will not tolerate illegal activity in any of our offices," said DMV Commissioner D.B. Smit.

'Critical' to commerce
U.S. Attorney Paul J. McNulty called the alleged conduct of the Martinezes "reprehensible."

"We must aggressively safeguard our identification systems. The integrity of state driver's licenses is critical to our commerce as well as our national security."

According to court papers, applicants would pay a fee of between $2,000 and $3,500 and then be directed to go to the DMV office.

When the applicant's name was called, Francisco Martinez would issue a driver's license without verifying required information, court papers said. Most of the time, the immigrant wouldn't even have to fill out an application.

Martinez also falsely certified that the applicant had surrendered a license from another state, court papers said. The applicant would then be photographed and be given a license.

The DMV and the General Assembly have been working on tightening licensing procedures ever since it was learned that seven of the Sept. 11 hijackers had phony Virginia identification cards. Applicants for drivers licenses must now provide two forms of identification: proof of legal residence in the state and proof of Social Security number.

McNulty said this case shows the steps are having an impact.

"A few years ago, one could fraudulently obtain a driver's license for about $100," he said.

"It now takes up to $3,500 and the involvement of a corrupt clerk. This suggests our enforcement efforts with DMV are making fraud more difficult, riskier and more costly."

Second article I found on these scam artists.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national ... -3495r.htm

Virginia DMV official, wife held
By Jerry Seper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published July 13, 2005

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A Virginia man who worked as a manager at a Department of Motor Vehicles office at Springfield Mall and his wife, a former DMV clerk, were arrested yesterday by federal agents on charges of selling valid driver's licenses for as much as $3,500 each -- mostly to illegal aliens.
U.S. Attorney Paul J. McNulty said Francisco J. Martinez, 57, and his wife, Miriam, 56, both of Stafford, Va., have been charged with conspiracy to commit identification fraud and conspiracy to produce Virginia driver's licenses by fraud, both felonies.
If convicted, they could get 15 years in prison and fines totaling $250,000.
Also arrested was Daniel Jose Guardia Lopez, 25, of Alexandria, a Bolivian national whom law-enforcement authorities identified as being in the United States illegally.
"The integrity of state driver's licenses is critical to our commerce, as well as our national security," Mr. McNulty said. "By arresting Frank and Miriam Martinez, we have eliminated a source of fraudulent driver's licenses for criminals who want to conceal their true identity and others who are not qualified to legitimately obtain a Virginia driver's license."
The Virginia DMV has sought in the past three years to toughen regulations for driver's licenses to close loopholes that let seven of the 19 September 11 hijackers get valid licenses and state identification cards in Virginia.
The new law requires Virginia drivers to provide a government-issued document to prove they either are U.S. citizens or are in the country legally.
But authorities said the protections offered by the new regulations were compromised by Mr. Martinez because of his ability as a DMV manager to issue and approve valid driver's licenses. At least 40 licenses were issued to unqualified applicants since January 2004, including Mr. Guardia Lopez, authorities said.
Mr. Martinez managed the DMV Customer Service Center at the Springfield Mall and had been a DMV employee since 1990. At Springfield, authorities said he was the senior DMV employee and had direct supervision of the office's operations and its 30 employees.
His wife worked as a clerk at the DMV office at Tysons Corner from 1996 to 1998 and again briefly in 2003. In July 2003, federal authorities arrested two other clerks at the Tysons Corner branch and four associates in a suspected $1 million scheme to produce and sell driver's licenses to unqualified applicants between 1998 and 2003.
Yesterday's charges, according to Mr. McNulty, stem from efforts by the Martinezes and Mr. Guardia Lopez to produce and sell authentic licenses to illegal aliens and other unqualified applicants. He said Mr. Martinez produced the licenses for immigrants located and sent to him by his wife and Mr. Guardia Lopez.
Mr. McNulty said Mr. Guardia Lopez found clients, collected and passed on fees ranging from $2,000 to $3,500 and relayed instructions from Mrs. Martinez to the illegals about when to go to the DMV office in Springfield to get their licenses.
"The arrest of this employee is disappointing, yet represents the agency's vigilance and commitment to security in every facet of our operation," DMV Commissioner D.B. Smit said. "Whether it's attempted fraud by individuals outside of the agency or breaches of confidence from within, we will not tolerate illegal activity.
"We will continue to aggressively screen documents, conduct audits and quality assurance programs, investigate and prosecute offenders to protect the integrity of our agency, our hard-working employees and our services," he said.
An affidavit in the case by FBI Agent Pamela Bombardi said Mr. Guardia Lopez decided to cooperate in the investigation after being approached by agents and agreed to make a monitored telephone call to Mrs. Martinez, during which he said he had two new clients -- his cousins from Bolivia -- and asked whether she could "handle" them.
Mrs. Martinez, according to the affidavit, later agreed to the deal, meeting with Mr. Guardia Lopez in Washington to exchange information and collect her share of the money.
Richard Griffin, an assistant secretary of state, said the case began with information developed by agents from the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security, based in Washington. He said the six-month probe included FBI agents and investigators from the Virginia DMV.
"As a long-term employee of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and a supervisor for the past four years, Martinez abused his position of leadership and public trust while lining his pockets with ill-gotten gain," Mr. McNulty said. "Martinez may have run a lucrative criminal scheme for a while, but he will now pay a high price."