http://www.nysun.com/article/24127

December 8, 2005 Edition > Section: New York

5,000 Forged IDs Seized in Sweep
BY DANIELA GERSON - Staff Reporter of the Sun
December 8, 2005

Law enforcement officials yesterday announced the dismantling of a major fake identity-document ring - exposed in The New York Sun on Monday. But hours after the press conference, dealers were back selling fake green cards and driver's licenses on the same Queens avenue that had been targeted in the bust.

A 19-month undercover investigation by federal and local officials concluded this week with the seizure of more than 5,000 forged documents and the indictment of 21 individuals. Among those arrested was the dealer who last week sold this reporter a fake green card signifying permanent resident status.

The Queens district attorney, Richard Brown, pronounced the $1 million a year ring - which sold green cards, driver's licenses, and Social Security cards - out of business. "I think it's fair to say this particular operation, this enterprise, is effectively closed down," he said at a press conference yesterday.

Nonetheless, the open market for fraudulent documents on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens was busy yesterday afternoon, with employees of that ring now working for other criminals on the same Jackson Heights corner.

Within seconds of approaching the corner yesterday afternoon, a reporter was approached by two document dealers saying, "Social, Social."

Asked if he was afraid after the arrest of his colleagues, one of the dealers shrugged off the threat.

The sale of fake documents "is never going to go away," another Roosevelt Avenue document dealer said in Spanish. "It's about cash, it's about money." He said that the dozen or so workers from the "dismantled" ring who were not arrested found new employment with one of the mills that operates on different blocks.

He added that documents are only part of the illicit dealings: There is a thriving market for prostitutes and drugs along Roosevelt Avenue.

Bouncing between a steady stream of cell phone calls, meeting other dealers in a second-floor pool hall on Roosevelt Avenue, and conducting brief conversations in the back of a car, the dealer, who would not give his name, said he was very busy.

Sales, he said, yesterday would come to $500 to $600 from green cards, driver's licenses, and Social Security cards. He flashed the reporter a recently fabricated driver's license before disappearing down the street. The Queens district attorney, Mr. Brown, acknowledged the problem was much larger than just one document mill, and said that Roosevelt Avenue is the most popular site on the East Coast to get fake papers.

With the "widespread black market" easily accessibly to terrorists, he said, "Such a serious threat to public safety cannot go unchallenged." The investigation, he said, is ongoing and will continue to include local and federal law enforcement agencies. The NYPD's gangs division played a leading role in what law enforcement officials have labeled "Operation Paper Chase."

Likening the document traffickers to drug dealers who insulate themselves from authorities, Mr. Brown said penetrating the operations beyond the street level has been challenging for law enforcement officials.

In yesterday's indictments, most of the 21 individuals charged were low-level operators. Esteban Chavez, the alleged boss with ties to the gang Vatos Locos, reportedly fled to Mexico. Mr. Brown, however, said it was still a success because "we took down the acting boss, who was his sister, along with a number of others who were involved with enterprise corruption, which is the most serious charge."

The indictments of the 21 individuals - four of whom are still at large - concluded months of wiretaps, video surveillance, and thousands of intercepted telephone calls. According to court papers, the ring was run by the brother-sister team of Esteban Chavez, 32 and Maricruz Chavez, 30, who rented the location which served as the paper mill, dealt with suppliers, and set prices.

To run their business, the Chavezes allegedly employed a team of "runners," "sellers," and "cutters."

The sellers, who include the men saying "Social" in front of the taco stand on Roosevelt Avenue yesterday, are in charge of approaching prospective clients on the street and negotiating a price. Social Security cards go for around $40, driver's licenses from $50 to more than $100, depending on the quality, and green cards between $60 and $100.

Once the deal is made, the seller will procure the necessary materials and information, such as photos, date of birth, and nationality, needed to create the documents. Many of these deals took place, according to Mr. Brown, at a Chinese restaurant that was essentially a front operation across the street from the taco stand. When this reporter bought a card last week, however, the deal was made outside on the street.

From the sellers, the cards go to runners, who transport the materials to an office set back from the street. On display at the press conference yesterday were dozens of seized cards as well as computers, laminators, typewriters, and other machines used to make the documents, which the cutters use to make the cards. Once the documents are completed, the runners would return them, often within an hour, to the street, where the clients are waiting.

Most of the defendants - all but one of whom are illegal immigrants from Mexico- have been charged under New York State law with enterprise corruption, a Class B felony punishable by a minimum of five years and a maximum of 25 years, as well as various other charges including forgery, conspiracy, and criminal possession of a forged document. Following any criminal sentence, the illegal immigrants would face deportation.

Council Member Hiram Monserrate, whose district includes Roosevelt Avenue, said sweeps alone cannot solve the problem, which has existed for many years. "The Police Department has to do more in regards to undercover operations and track them down to the organizing elements," he said.