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Suspected illegal aliens face prostitution, fake ID charges
By Lauren Pack

Staff Writer

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

HAMILTON — A joint undercover operation has resulted in the arrests of a man and woman — both illegal aliens — for making fraudulent identification cards and bringing prostitutes to Butler County, officials said Monday.

Fausto David Bartolon-Perez, 29, of Highland Greens Apartments in West Chester Twp., was arrested by Butler County sheriff's deputies and West Chester Twp. police Friday. He is charged with six counts of forgery and one count of promoting prostitution, according to the sheriff's office.

At the same time, Laura Ramirez-Perez, 44, also of the West Chester Twp. apartment complex, was arrested for prostitution, officials said. Deputies said she is just one of many — including perhaps one minor — brought to the county for prostitution.

The sheriff's office said it recently received information that Bartolon-Perez was producing and selling fraudulent ID cards, as well as supplying women from Georgia, Illinois, Indiana and New York for prostitution in Butler County.

Bartolon-Perez was born in Guatemala and Ramirez-Perez stated she was from Mexico, according to authorities.

During the investigation, undercover deputies and West Chester Twp. officers were able to make multiple purchases of fake ID cards — including permanent resident cards, Social Security cards and state identification cards — and procure a prostitute, officials said.

After the arrests, officers said they searched Bartolon-Perez's residence, where they confiscated a computer, a scanner/copier, several blank ID cards, an identification card marker and more than $3,000 cash.

At the time of his arrest Bartolon-Perez was in possession of $800. Three vehicles registered to Bartolon-Perez were also towed, authorities said.

"The IDs are as good as what you get legally," Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones said.

He said there may be a connection to the last week's arrest and one made in December. The December bust netted a slew of fake ID cards and resulted in the arrests of five people in connection with manufacturing the fraudulent documents.

He said immigration authorities — as well as the FBI — have been contacted about the latest arrests because many of the women who are part of the prostitution branch have been transported across state lines.

Jones said the women are housed in apartments and then taken to locations to perform sex for money. The sessions sometimes involved 10 to 20 men to one woman, he said.

"The women are paid. But we are trying to find out if they are doing this willingly," Jones said.