Woman sentenced to prison after pleading guilty in fake-ID case

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A Winston-Salem woman who was a key player in a fake ID ring pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to making and distributing fake IDs.

Laura Bello-Castanada was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Greensboro to nine months in prison for her role in the illegal operation. Judge William Osteen, who handed down the sentence, also placed Bello-Castanada on probation for three years.

Bello-Castanada, who is from Mexico, took telephone orders from illegal immigrants for fake IDs and offered delivery service to customers, court documents show. After receiving a passport-size photograph and $250 to $400, Bello-Castanada provided the fake IDs.

She pleaded guilty to one count of producing false identification documents, possession a firearm illegally, and reentering the United State illegally after she had been deported. She was deported in 2000 after she tried to get a visa by fraud, which is a violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“This is a serious matter to the court,â€