Thread: Fake-ID operation busted IN Cincinnati area.

Fake-ID operation busted
Thousands of documents, blank plastic cards seized
BY JANICE MORSE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER



HAMILTON - An illegal immigrant with guts - but maybe not smarts - unwittingly launched the investigation that produced Ohio's largest-ever fake-ID bust, Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones said Friday.

Gregorio Cruz presented a doctored-up ID card to the sheriff's office, which is known for its anti-illegals stance.

"He came to really the wrong place," Jones said.


Cruz had to walk past the jail's "illegal immigrants here" sign when he visited the sheriff's headquarters Nov. 28 to ask officials to run a criminal background check on him. A native of Mexico, Cruz wanted to be able to show a clean criminal record to a prospective employer.

But an alert clerk noticed something odd about Cruz's ID card. Those concerns led to an investigation.

The results: Cruz, 31, of Hamilton, and two other Hamilton men are in the county jail on felony charges as officials continue sorting through boxes of evidence - including more than 4,000 blank plastic cards - that could lead to more arrests.

The local fake-ID operation "may have tentacles everywhere," Jones said. Investigators were trying to figure out how long it had been active.

Jones said the bust highlights national security problems that make the U.S. vulnerable to terrorists and criminals. Some of the bogus IDs were of such high quality that police officers, airline ticketing agents and others likely would be duped, Jones said.

"It's totally out of control, and we'd better get a grip on it," he said.

Jones said society pays many costs for tolerating illegal immigration.

"This investigation isn't free," Jones said. "It's costing us all - the jails, the courts, the hospitals, the schools."

A retired federal immigration agent who was hired to work for Jones several weeks ago played a key role in the bust by working undercover, Jones said.

Cruz is charged with one count of tampering with records. He was a customer of Ernesto Escalante-Bartolon, 29, who was renting a Fairfield apartment for the sole purpose of making fake documents and IDs, police say.

This week, police searched that apartment and a Hamilton mobile home where Escalante-Bartolon lived.

Known as "Miguel" on the street, Escalante-Bartolon handed out business cards that helped put him in touch with customers who were buying bogus cards at $150 to $200 each, police said.

The sales were happening in public, just blocks away from the jail, Jones said.

Police allege that Escalante-Bartolon is an illegal immigrant from Guatemala - yet he was able to obtain valid driver's licenses under different identities in Tennessee and Michigan, investigators said. Facing 11 record-tampering charges, he was the primary player in the alleged ID ring, police say.

An associate, Nicolas Juan Santiago, 32, a suspected illegal from Mexico, is charged with six record-tampering counts.

Jones said more of the operation's customers could find themselves in jail.

Looking directly into lenses of TV cameras Friday, Jones declared: "We're sending a message. ...If you're buying these (fake IDs), we may already know who you are


http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ ... 1077/COL02

Well, thats two fake ID operations busted during the past week, this one and the one in NC.

There's also http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=F ... light=ring

thats 3 in a two week period

Services for I/As is big $$$$$$ from renting cellars in Boston to garages
in Calf. Phoney IDs, Cloned cell phones to call Mexico, fake insurance cards and
services to get credit cards, home loans, section 8 housing, food stamps,welfare, and HUD on the American taxpayers dime.

$5000 for coyote

$1200 for phony ID

$300 to live on before 1st welfare check

For everything else there someone (Your name here) MasterCard

Originally Posted by Charlesoakisland

thats 3 in a two week period

and according to the Hoke sheriff, it's "a tip in the iceberg” ".

Time to hit our local, state & fed representatives again looks like.

Originally Posted by had_enuf

Originally Posted by Charlesoakisland

thats 3 in a two week period

and according to the Hoke sheriff, it's "a tip in the iceberg” ".

Time to hit our local, state & fed representatives again looks like.

Yea, looks like it is time again to scream about our ID being stolen and used by illegal invaders. Especially at the NC Attorney General.

They are bold as some of them would try selling fake ID by the immigration building on 79th street in Miami. Selling fake ID is big business and there is lots of it out there by many illegal groups. Unfortunately its like trying to catch all the drug importers and sellers, it just isn't going to happen. After you shut one down there is another one or two to replace him and it is the same with these people who produce fake ID.

Added to Home Page
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=N ... e&sid=1752

http://www.butlersheriff.org/blog/

Sheriff Jones — December 8, 2006, 5:46 pm
Illegals helping illegals!


Here is the story…

A major Butler County Sheriff’s Office operation culminated last night in what is believed to be the largest fraudulent document bust ever in the State of Ohio and possibly the nation. The fraudulent documents seized included:

• Permanent Resident Alien Cards (Green Cards)
• Social Security Cards
• State of Ohio ID Cards
• Thousands of “blanks” used to create the fraudulent documents

If all these materials were processed and sold, they could easily have an estimated street value of more than $500,000.

Arrests were made in the City of Hamilton’s Fourth Ward after undercover officers purchased several fraudulent Social Security and Permanent Resident Alien cards. The three men arrested are illegal aliens and now face more than 12 felony charges.

The men have been identified as Nicolas Juan Santiago originally of Mexico, Ernesto Escalante-Bartolon originally of Guatemala, and Gregorio Cruz originally of Mexico.

This is my view…

Here we are in the middle of the U.S. and we have uncovered one of the largest fake ID operations in the country for some time. It is totally out of control and I believe one agency can make a difference as we have in Butler County, Ohio. I’ve always known that fraudulent IDs were being made for illegal aliens but I didn’t expect to them to be made BY illegal aliens and so far from the borders!! Looks like it’s time to get even tougher. Stay tuned.

Sheriff Richard K. Jones