April 7, 2008, 6:37PM
Houston company linked to fake IDs for immigrants
Nebraska officials warn of the driver's license scheme


By OSKAR GARCIA
Associated Press


Complete coverage of immigration issues OMAHA, Neb. — State officials in Nebraska were warning Monday of a scheme to sell fake driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, under the promise that the documents will let people legally drive, buy and sell cars.

A Houston-based company has taken out ads in newspapers and distributed fliers to Hispanic businesses in Omaha, Grand Island and Lincoln, offering so-called international licenses and state ID cards for about $200, Angel Freytez, of the Nebraska Mexican American Commission, said.

Private companies do not sell documents that grant legal driving privileges in the United States, and people who buy them can be arrested if they present them to authorities during traffic stops, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

The company was doing business as Centro de Identificaciones Inc. in Harris County. A telephone message left with the company was not returned.

It was not clear how many people actually bought documents from the company, but other companies that have made similar claims have sold to thousands of immigrants willing to jump at the chance for any type of legal documentation.

"We see these so-called 'fantasy documents' or ... 'novelty documents' fairly frequently," said Tim Counts, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman. "It's unfortunate, but I think (it is) another example of the pitfalls that await those that enter the country illegally."

While the claims can be deceptive, Counts said, it was unclear whether businesses that sold them were in violation of federal laws.

The Nebraska Attorney General's Office was monitoring the situation and planned to forward any information it received to its counterpart in Texas, spokeswoman Leah Bucco-White said on Monday.

The Texas Attorney General's Office has shut down other businesses that have offered similar promises, spokesman Charlie Castillo said. Castillo would not say whether Centro de Identificaciones was under investigation in Texas.

In 2002, Texas sued International Professional All Services, a company that sold documents and made similar claims, under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The company settled in 2003 and agreed to pay fines, legal fees and restitution to those who had bought the documents.

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