Mo. woman pleads guilty in immigration fraud scheme
Mo. woman pleads in immigration fraud scheme
kfvs.com
Posted: May 07, 2012 4:42 PM CDT Updated: May 07, 2012 4:42 PM CDT
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A northwestern Missouri woman has pleaded guilty to taking part in a scheme to provide fraudulent identity documents to more than 3,500 illegal immigrants throughout the U.S.
The U.S. Attorney's office says 23-year-old Christian Michelle Gonzalez, of St. Joseph, entered the plea Monday in what prosecutors have called a $5 million conspiracy.
Gonzalez admitted taking part from 2009 to January 2012 in the scheme to transport illegal immigrants, produce identification documents and commit identity crimes and Social Security fraud.
Prosecutors said the scheme resulted in more than 3,500 licenses being issued to illegal immigrants by the Missouri Revenue Department license in St. Joseph.
source: Mo. woman pleads in immigration fraud scheme - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff
Woman guilty of providing identity documents to illegal aliens
I.C.E. News Release
May 7, 2012
Kansas City, MO
Missouri woman pleads guilty to $5 million conspiracy to provide thousands of identity documents to illegal aliens
Kansas City, Mo. — A Missouri woman pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to her role in a more than $5 million conspiracy that utilized the Missouri Department of Revenue license office in St. Joseph to provide more than 3,500 fraudulent identity documents to illegal aliens across the United States.
The guilty plea resulted from an investigation conducted by the following agencies: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations; the Buchanan County (Mo.) Sheriff's Department; the St. Joseph (Mo.) Police Department; the Platte County (Mo.) Sheriff's Department; the Missouri State Highway Patrol; the Missouri Department of Revenue Investigation Bureau; the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
Christina Michelle Gonzalez, 23, of St. Joseph, Mo., pleaded guilty May 7 before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to the charges contained in a Jan. 10 federal indictment.
By pleading guilty, Gonzalez admitted to participating in a conspiracy from November 2009 to January 2012 to transport illegal aliens, unlawfully produce identification documents, unlawfully transfer another person's identification, and commit Social Security fraud.
During the conspiracy, thousands of illegal aliens traveled from across the United States to obtain either a Missouri driver's or non-driver's license at the St. Joseph license office by using unlawfully obtained birth certificates and Social Security cards. It is estimated that more than 3,500 licenses were issued to illegal aliens by the Department of Revenue license office in St. Joseph. The state licenses could then be used by the illegal aliens to remain unlawfully in the United States, to unlawfully obtain employment and for other unlawful purposes.
Gonzalez admitted that she accompanied illegal aliens to the St. Joseph license office, under the guise of being a translator, in order to assist them with obtaining a Missouri driver's or non-driver's license. Those licenses used the names of persons who were listed on unlawfully obtained birth certificates and Social Security cards.
Gonzalez instructed and assisted the illegal aliens to practice memorizing the information on the birth certificates and Social Security cards and to practice signing the name on those documents so that the signatures would be similar. She also assisted the illegal aliens to prepare for potential questions from the license office employees.
Gonzalez assisted the illegal aliens who did not live in Missouri by providing them with a Missouri residential address to use in order to obtain the Missouri driver's or non-driver's license.
The illegal aliens were usually charged between $1,500 and $1,600 for the document sets and the Missouri driver's and non-driver's licenses. Gonzalez collected money from the illegal aliens, which she paid to her co-conspirators. It is estimated that more than $5,250,000 in gross proceeds was paid by illegal aliens to members of this conspiracy.
Under federal statutes, Gonzalez is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a pre-sentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess E. Michaelsen, Western District of Missouri, is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.
ICE is a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423 or complete our tip form.
U.S. Dept of Homeland Security
Missouri woman pleads guilty to $5 million conspiracy to provide thousands of identity documents to illegal aliens
