Another man charged with bribery, fraud in Delray drivers license scheme

By ELIOT KLEINBERG

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Monday, November 02, 2009

Authorities have arrested yet another of the six people believed to have paid off at least seven examiners from the state license bureau in Delray Beach to get drivers licenses to more than 1,500 illegal immigrants.

Lorigene Jean Baptiste, 41, of West Palm Beach, was booked Friday night into the Palm Beach County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
Lorigene Jean Baptiste

He is charged with seven counts of unlawful compensation or reward for official behavior, one count of conspiracy for unlawful compensation, one count of conspiracy to commit official misconduct, and one count of tampering with a witness.

A warrant has been out for Baptiste's arrest since the Palm Beach County Sheriff's office rounded up several suspects in mid-September, Assistant State Attorney Alan Johnson, Palm Beach County's public corruption prosecutor, said today.

The joint Palm Beach County Sheriff's/U.S. Marshals' task force, acting on a tip, arrested Baptiste at his home. He jumped out a window but was caught after a brief chase, sheriff's office spokeswoman Teri Barbera said.

Jonex Moise, 35, of Boynton Beach, who Johnson has described as the conspiracy's "puppet master," and Rene Clairvoant, 57, of Boca Raton, were picked up in September. Three other "facilitators" remain at large.

Investigators and prosecutors allege the "facilitators" generated fake immigration documents, then directed applicants to participating examiners, who would wave them through, often without requiring driving or written tests.

At $1,200 to $2,500 per license, the conspirators may well have pocketed a total of several million dollars, Johnson has said.

Two of the examiners charged in the scheme have scheduled hearings for later this month at which they plan to enter pleas.

Arrested this weekend:

"Facilitator" Lorigene Jean Baptiste, 41, West Palm Beach

Charged but still at large:

Three additional facilitators

Arrested in September:

Examiners:

Maggie Nelson, 47, Delray Beach

Debbie Hunter Collins, 43, Delray Beach

Chenita Byrd-Mosley, 29, Boynton Beach

Osie Carter, 49, Boynton Beach

'Facilitators'

Jonex Moise, 35, Boynton Beach

Rene Clairvoyant, 57, Boca Raton

Arrested in April, May

Examiners

Nelson

Collins

Jashonda Kaliha Scott, 25, Palm Springs

Patreese Harvey, 28, Palm Springs

Melita Dera Zilea, 28, Coral Springs

Facilitators

Alex Adrien, 42, Delray Beach

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