Thread: SEVEN MEXICAN NATIONALS ARRAIGNED

SEVEN MEXICAN NATIONALS ARRAIGNED FOR OPERATING FRAUDULENT DOCUMENT RING



CHICAGO - Seven illegal aliens from Mexico were arraigned here in state court Tuesday for allegedly operating a fraudulent document ring in Chicago's "Little Village" area that generated approximately $2.5 million a year, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Sergio Ramirez-Ramirez, 29, Gerardo Salazar-Rodriguez, 32, Victorino Aparicio-Lopez, 27, Gerardo Jimenez-Moran, 29, Raul Hernandez-Cervantes, 43, Gabriel Rojas-Ramirez, 24, and Manuel Leija-Sanchez, 38, were arraigned and had bond set yesterday in Branch 98 at the Cook County Courthouse at 26th and California and have all been charged with felony forgery.

The Cicero Police Department and ICE agents arrested all seven men Nov. 15 at a residence on S. Lombard Ave. in Cicero, Ill. Found inside the residence was equipment used for making fake government documents, including: five high-speed computers, printers, I.D. card printers, scanners, laminating pouches, foil strips with security features, dozens of counterfeit identification cards, and other document-making paraphernalia. The estimated value of the seized items is approximately $10,000; the street value of the software is believed to be about $100,000.

Since the early 1990's making and selling fraudulent government identity documents has skyrocketed in Chicago's "Little Village" neighborhood along West 26th St. Cook County State's Attorney Richard A. Devine is working with ICE agents to facilitate prosecuting these counterfeit document vendors.

Manuel Leija-Sanchez is believed to be the current head of the Chicago Cell of the Castorena crime family, a Mexican organized crime family that has controlled the majority of the fraudulent document manufacturing and sales trade in the U.S. over the past 10 years. Pedro Castorena-Ibarra, the leader of the Castorena crime family and one of ICE's top 10 most wanted fugitives, is currently under indictment in Denver, Colo., for Money Laundering, Fraud, and the Manufacture of Counterfeit Identity Documents. Leija's criminal history includes multiple arrests for selling counterfeit documents, as well as arrests for narcotics and assault.

"ICE places a high priority on investigating identity fraud and document fraud cases," said Gary Hartwig, acting special agent-in-charge of the ICE Chicago Office of Investigations. "Counterfeit documents create the illusion of legitimacy and allow dangerous criminals to hide in plain sight. ICE is committed to shutting down illegal enterprises that compromise the security of our nation."

"The production and sale of these fraudulent documents is corrupting many of our neighborhoods," Devine said. "That these highly organized criminals have been brought to justice is a credit to the law enforcement agencies involved."


http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsre ... hicago.htm

Good job! Targeting the people who sell false documents is as important as targeting the employers.

However, in this case, I don't think they should have been deported. I think they should have been locked up and the keys lost!

I can't figure out why in hell law enforcement can lock up someone for something totally stupid to waste prison space yet let people like this be deported so that they can come back and set up a new operation tomorrow.

I have a feeling that some judge screwed this one up on purpose. No wonder law enforcement recruits are getting scarce.

Since we want to trim down any amnesty one of the main groups to be excluded should be users of forged documentation. Using forged federal documentation should be a federal crime.