Published September 18 2009
Reversal in forgery, ID theft case for Willmar immigrant

WILLMAR — The Minnesota Court of Appeals has reversed a Willmar woman’s conviction for aggravated forgery and identity theft because the district court should have suppressed biographical evidence gathered by agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and later used by local investigators in the state case against her.
By: Gretchen Schlosser

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WILLMAR — The Minnesota Court of Appeals has reversed a Willmar woman’s conviction for aggravated forgery and identity theft because the district court should have suppressed biographical evidence gathered by agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and later used by local investigators in the state case against her.

The appeals court, in a published opinion issued Tuesday, reversed the convictions of Iris Janeth Maldonado-Arr-eaga.

The court ruled that the information gathered by ICE agents, who conducted a warrantless raid on Maldonado-Arreaga’s home and arrested her in April 2007, should have been suppressed because it was obtained through unconstitutional governmental action.

Further, the court ruled that evidence gathered — with the biographical information from an ICE form on Maldonado-Arreaga — in the state case should have been suppressed. The evidence included I-9 employment documents from Jennie-O Turkey Store and driver’s license documents from the Department of Public Safety, gathered by a Willmar police detective soon after the ICE activity in Willmar.

The county attorney’s office is evaluating an appeal of the decision, Connie Crowell, first assistant county attorney, said Thursday. Other than stating that there “someâ€