Thirty charged in fake document ring

By Frank Green
Published: December 18, 2010
» 1 Comment

Thirty people have been charged in a Richmond-based federal investigation into a ring that counterfeited green cards and other documents for illegal immigrants across the country.

A 38-page indictment this week says many of the offenses took place in a home in the 5600 block of Melmark Road in South Richmond, said to be one of more than a dozen "document production cells" in the U.S.

Prosecutors would not comment beyond what has been filed in court, but the indictment paints a picture of a thriving underground business in which counterfeiters vie, if not battle, with one another over the lucrative sale of false documents to illegal immigrants.

The indictment alleges the business was controlled using detailed sales reports, inventory control and telephone contacts, and the business was advertised by distributing business cards and by word of mouth. Biweekly business reports were made up the chain of command.

In addition to Richmond, the government charges that fake documents were also made in Manassas and the Norfolk/Virginia Beach areas, as well as in Arkansas, North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Indiana, Kentucky and Rhode Island.

Officials say the scheme began on or before May, lasted until November and was led by Israel Cruz Millan — also known as "El Muerto", Spanish for "the dead one," and also the name of a comic book hero who returns from the dead with supernatural powers.

Millan, 25, wearing a white T-shirt, khaki pants and leg shackles, appeared in U.S. District Court in Richmond on Thursday along with 16 other defendants, ranging in age from 20 to 44. Each pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial set to begin May 9 and to last three weeks.

Millan told U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer that he had a high school education. It is unclear from court records and hearings where the defendants were arrested. Millan is accused of managing and supervising the various production cell managers on a day-to-day basis across the country.

In addition to the pending charges, Millan and at least two other defendants are being held on warrants from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, presumably because they are in the country illegally.

As of Monday, 25 of the defendants had been arrested. Each is charged either with conspiracy to produce and transfer false identification documents, involvement in a money-laundering conspiracy, or both.

The U.S. attorney's office said it will file another indictment next month alleging additional charges, including conspiracy to violate federal racketeering law and violence in the aid of racketeering.

As outlined in the indictment, the "document production cells" were established at various locations across the country based on criteria that included the amount of area competition, the number of potential clients, profitability and law-enforcement presence.

Using identifying information and photographs sent via cellphones and direct contacts, the cells created counterfeit Resident Alien Cards — better known as green cards — as well as Social Security cards, various out-of-state identification cards and unspecified "international documents."

Authorities say that in one incident in Richmond on May 28, one of the defendants delivered counterfeit Resident Alien and Social Security cards to a confidential source for $200 the day after the source provided his or her photograph and biographical information.

Proceeds went up the chain of command through a variety of means, including Western Union wire transfers.

The government asked Spencer for a trial date beyond the 70 days required by the federal speedy trial act.

In asking for the delay, prosecutors wrote: "The evidence in this case will come from various sources, including six different telephone wire taps, the execution of search warrants at multiple locations around the United States, Western Union wire-transfer records, and numerous undercover buys by law-enforcement officers and confidential sources over the past several months."

"The case is further complicated by a language barrier — all of the wire intercepts are in Spanish and only a handful of the charged defendants speak English. Many of the defense attorneys will need a translator," wrote the government.

Translators were used when the 16 men and one woman appeared before Spencer for their arraignments Thursday.

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