Sting Nets Immigrants Accused Of Bribing Charlotte DMV Employee For Licenses

POSTED: 5:38 pm EST March 6, 2007
UPDATED: 6:15 pm EST March 6, 2007


Nine Face Federal Charges Of Using Bribes, Fake Documents To Get Licenses

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- An investigation that started in October wrapped up after federal agents made nine arrests outside the Department of Motor Vehicles office on the Brookshire Freeway.

On Monday federal agents sprang a trap on immigrants, many in the country illegally, who though they were bribing a DMV employee to get North Carolina drivers' licenses. They drew guns on the group as DMV customers watched.

Three of those immigrants arrived at the federal courthouse Tuesday afternoon. Each of them, sources say, offered several thousand dollars and false documents in order to get a North Carolina license.

Federal prosecutors charged Nurcan Basduzen and Mustafa Donuk, both from the Philadelphia area, and Ismail Korhan, from Charlotte, with conspiracy and transferring stolen documents. The charges each carry maximum prison terms of 15 years in prison.

Sources say a dozen people of Turkish descent walked into the DMV office Monday with fake social security numbers and wads of cash. What neither the suspects nor the others they were with knew was that the examiner they thought they were bribing was actually working with agents, and their every move was being recorded.

Six other immigrants are expected in court later this week.

No one is saying why these people came all the way to Charlotte, what they intended to do with the drivers' licenses or whether they have ties to any other group. That information may be contained in documents that were ordered sealed Tuesday afternoon.

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