Two men arrested in Reno on suspicion of trying to obtain ID
By Jaclyn OMalley • jomalley@rgj.com • March 19, 2009


Two suspected illegal aliens remain jailed without bail after the state’s department of motor vehicles office’s facial recognition program alerted officials they were allegedly trying to fraudulently obtain a driver’s license.



Immigration and Customs Enforcement has an immigration hold on Humberto Cervantes, 39, of Sparks, and Jose Tabares-Delacerda. Both were arrested Tuesday at the Reno Department of Motor Vehicles office on Galletti Way. They are being held at the Washoe County Jail.


Tom Jacobs, DMV spokesman, said in Cervantes’ case, the facial recognition program identified a photo of the same person attached to two different records with two different names. Cervantes admitted he was using a fake name because he had poor credit and wanted to start over.


Cervantes was arrested on suspicion of fraudulent application for a driver’s license, a felony.


The facial recognition program also identified a photo of the same person attached to two different records with different names in Tabares-Delacerda’s case, Jacobs said. He admitted he was using a fake name and had wanted a driver’s license to work because he did not have a Social Security Number.


Tabares-Delacerda was arrested on suspicion of possession of a false identification, using the identification information of another and fraudulent application for a driver’s license.


At least 14 other states, including California, use the facial recognition software. Several arrests in Nevada have already been made after digital photographs in a database have been compared to the person applying for a driver’s license or identification card.



http://www.rgj.com/article/20090319/NEW ... /1321/NEWS