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  1. #11
    Senior Member Ratbstard's Avatar
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    Feds bust more than 60 in fraudulent document rings

    By Terry Frieden,
    CNN Justice Producer
    updated 5:27 PM EST, Wed January 11, 2012

    Washington (CNN) -- Federal agents Wednesday arrested more than 60 people in 17 states alleged to have been involved in conspiracies to provide fraudulent documents, top administration officials announced.

    In the largest of three separate rings producing phony documents, 50 individuals were indicted. Authorities said by midafternoon 43 of the suspects had been arrested. Many of the arrests and searches occurred in Puerto Rico where the phony documents originated.

    Justice and Department of Homeland Security officials said "hundreds upon hundreds" of sets of Social Security cards and Puerto Rico birth certificates had been sold for prices ranging from $700 to $2,500 per set.

    Officials stressed the high priority the government places on cracking down on document trafficking.

    "The conspiracy alleged to be perpetrated by those charged undermines the integrity of our national immigration system," said Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton.

    Despite the widespread fraud, Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer told reporters, "there is no evidence whatsoever" of any connection to potential terrorist groups or plots.

    The document fraud ring was centered in Puerto Rico and spread to customers or brokers in 15 states. The investigation covered areas in Illinois, Indiana, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.

    Authorities said the investigation leading to the major fraud ring began with a single incident in Elgin, Illinois.

    Breuer and Morton said two other smaller document fraud rings had been busted.

    One in Missouri involves 14 suspects, and all have been arrested.

    In another case, four of six suspects have been arrested so far in Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin.

    Feds bust more than 60 in fraudulent document rings - CNN.com
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  2. #12
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    Feds call Nebraska City man an identity broker in Puerto Rico scheme

    By Dan Swanson
    Nebraska City News Press
    Posted Jan 11, 2012 @ 09:59 AM
    Last update Jan 11, 2012 @ 03:33 PM

    Nebraska City, Neb. —

    Federal authorities took a Nebraska City man into custody Wednesday morning for alleged involvement as an “identity broker” in an international scheme to traffic identities of Puerto Rican citizens.

    Nebraska City police and Otoe County sheriff's deputies assisted U.S. postal inspectors and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which oversees Homeland Security Investigations, to serve search and arrests warrants.

    Officers entered a residence at 1208 Fourth Ave. around 6 a.m., but learned the suspect was no longer staying there.

    An investigation led to a search of a home at the Nebraska City Mobile Home Community, where the man was taken into custody.

    The U.S. Department of Justice reported this afternoon that 50 people were charged in a one-count indictment unsealed today in Puerto Rico with conspiracy to commit identification fraud.

    Arrests were made in Puerto Rico and the United States.The Nebraska City man is expected to go before a federal court in Nebraska.

    “The indictment unsealed today alleges that from April 2009 to December 2011, the defendants operated an extensive black market, identity fraud ring,” said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

    “The alleged conspiracy stretched across the United States and Puerto Rico, using suppliers, identity brokers and mail and money runners to fill and deliver orders for the personal identifying information and government-issued identity documents of Puerto Rican U.S. citizens.

    Those willing to buy and sell personal identifying information and documents should take notice of today’s actions.

    The department and our law enforcement partners will not allow this kind of illegal activity to continue,” Breuer said.

    According to the indictment, from at least April 2009 to December 2011, conspirators in 15 states and Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, trafficked the identities of Puerto Rican U.S. citizens, corresponding Social Security cards, Puerto Rico birth certificates and other identification documents to undocumented aliens and others residing in the United States.

    The indictment alleges that suppliers located in the Savarona area of Caguas, Puerto Rico, obtained the Puerto Rican identities and corresponding identity documents. Identity brokers in various locations throughout the United States solicited customers.

    The identity brokers allegedly sold Social Security cards and corresponding Puerto Rico birth certificates for prices ranging from $700 to $2,500 per set.

    The indictment alleges that various identity brokers were operating in Nebraska City, Rockford, Ill.; Indianapolis; DeKalb, Ill.; Columbus and Seymour, Ind.; Aurora, Ill.; Hartford, Conn.; Clewiston, Fla.; Lilburn and Norcross, Ga.; Salisbury, Md.; Columbus, Ohio; Fairfield, Ohio; Dorchester, Mass.; Lawrence, Mass.; Salem, Mass.; Worcester, Mass.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Nebraska City, Neb.; Elizabeth, N.J.; Burlington, N.C.; Hickory, N.C.; Hazelton, Pa.; Philadelphia; Houston; and Abingdon, Va.

    If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, as well as forfeiture.

    Feds call Nebraska City man an identity broker in Puerto Rico scheme - Nebraska City, NE - Nebraska City News-Press
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  3. #13
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    Feds bust ID traffickers

    thehill.com
    By Jordy Yager
    01/11/12 03:32 PM ET

    The Justice Department on Wednesday charged 50 people for conspiring to make, sell and traffic illegal IDs.

    In an indictment unsealed in Puerto Rico, the Justice Department (DOJ) announced that it had dismantled one of the largest fraudulent identification trafficking rings in the United States.

    Hundreds of identities were illegally sold to undocumented aliens from 2009 to 2011, according to the indictment.

    For as much as $2,500, people in the United States illegally attempted to purchase the identification documents of Puerto Rican U.S. citizens, including Social Security cards, birth certificates, and state driver's licenses, according to the announcement by DOJ.

    None of the people who tried to buy the illegal IDs are suspected of attempting to carry out terrorist activities, though neither Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton nor Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer of the DOJ’s Criminal Division said how many of the successfully sold and trafficked IDs were still at large.

    The officials said that every trafficked ID they were aware of has been tracked and dozens of agencies, including state motor vehicle departments, have been notified to flag the fraudulently obtained documents.

    The officials, citing the ongoing investigation, said they could not reveal exactly how the documents were obtained, but they stipulated that the indictment was not related to a recent police corruption case in Puerto Rico.

    More than 1,000 agents have been involved so far in arresting 61 of the 70 people involved in the scheme, which was operated in 15 states and Puerto Rico, according to ICE and DOJ officials.

    The indictment alleges that illegal aliens would contact brokers who would then order the identity documents from suppliers in Puerto Rico.

    Law enforcement officials lauded the take-down as a huge step forward in the United State’s fight against illegal identity theft and attempts to undermine the country’s immigration process.

    “The conspiracy alleged to be perpetrated by those charged undermines the integrity of our national immigration system,” Morton said. “We will continue working with our federal partners to protect our homeland from criminals who have no regard for our nation's safety and security.”

    Feds bust ID traffickers - TheHill.com
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  4. #14
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    ICE: Hazleton man aided identity-trafficking operation

    standardspeaker.com
    Published: January 11, 2012

    A Hazleton man was one of 50 people charged Wednesday for their alleged roles in an operation that trafficked the identities of Puerto Rican U.S. citizens, along with corresponding Social Security cards, birth certificates and other documents, to illegal aliens and other people living in the United States.

    Orlando Guzman Garcia, no address given, was identified as an "identity broker" in an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit identification fraud.

    The one-count indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on Dec. 29 and unsealed Wednesday in Puerto Rico. Defendants were arrested in districts throughout the United States and Puerto Rico and will make initial appearances in federal court in the districts in which they were arrested.

    Law enforcement agents also executed searches as part of an ongoing investigation known as "Operation Island Express."

    If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, as well as forfeiture, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said in a news release.

    Check back for updates and read the full story in Thursday's Standard-Speaker.

    Read more: ICE: Hazleton man aided identity-trafficking operation - News - Standard Speaker
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  5. #15
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    50 charged with fake identification trafficking, some with Grand Rapids ties

    By Maria Amante
    The Grand Rapids Press
    Updated: Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 8:04 PM


    Fifty people were charged with trafficking the identities of Puerto Rican citizens by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and arrested Wednesday.

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the group, who they called "Operation Island Express," operated out of Grand Rapids and other cities nationwide.

    The names of the individuals arrested were not revealed, and it is unclear how many were from Grand Rapids. Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, as well as forfeiture if convicted.

    The identity brokers allegedly sold Social Security cards and corresponding Puerto Rico birth certificates for prices ranging from $700 to $2,500 per set, according to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement release.

    "Identity brokers ordered the identity documents from Savarona suppliers, on behalf of the customers, by making coded telephone calls, including using terms such as 'shirts,' 'uniforms' or 'clothes,' to refer to identity documents," the release said. "Specifically, the brokers asked for "skirts" for female customers and 'pants' for male customers in various 'sizes,' which referred to the ages of the identities sought by the customers."

    The group's customers used the documents to obtain additional identification documents, like driver's licenses or passports or commit financial fraud.

    E-mail the author of this story: Maria_Amante@mlivemediagroup.com


    50 charged with fake identification trafficking, some with Grand Rapids ties | MLive.com
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  6. #16
    Senior Member TakingBackSoCal's Avatar
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    This is one heavily organized takeover of the US. Thanks LaRaza, Maldef, SEIU, Obama and thangs and so on for showing your true colors and it surely not red, white and blue.
    You cannot dedicate yourself to America unless you become in every
    respect and with every purpose of your will thoroughly Americans. You
    cannot become thoroughly Americans if you think of yourselves in groups. President Woodrow Wilson

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by TakingBackSoCal View Post
    This is one heavily organized takeover of the US. Thanks LaRaza, Maldef, SEIU, Obama and thangs and so on for showing your true colors and it surely not red, white and blue.
    I can't believe how many different locals across the nation this involved.
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  8. #18
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    Indictment: St. Joseph was hub of nationwide immigration scheme

    Kansas City Business Journal
    Date: Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 5:12pm CST

    A Missouri Department of Revenue license office in St. Joseph provided fraudulent identity documents to more than 3,500 illegal immigrants nationwide, according to allegations in a 40-count indictment unsealed Wednesday.


    A federal grand jury in Kansas City indicted 14 defendants in a conspiracy that allegedly raked in more than $5 million since late 2009, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.


    Those indicted included six members of a St. Joseph family and three Guatemalans living in Carthage, Mo.


    “St. Joseph was the hub of a criminal conspiracy for thousands of illegal aliens who traveled to Missouri from across the country,” U.S. Attorney Beth Phillips said in the release. “Conspirators operated a vast black market where identities were bought and sold. It’s crucial for business and public safety that we maintain the integrity of government-issued IDs. Those who profited from this illegal scheme will be held accountable.”


    The indictment was unsealed after several defendants were arrested and made initial court appearances.


    Illegal immigrants allegedly would travel from across the country to St. Joseph, recruited and sometimes transported by conspirators. There, the undocumented immigrants would pay as much as $1,600 to get birth certificates and Social Security cards in others’ names, as well as Missouri residential addresses, which allowed them to get Missouri driver’s or non-driver’s licenses. They could use the licenses to stay in the United States and gain employment, among other things.
    Proceeds allegedly amounted to more than $5.25 million.


    A few San Antonio conspirators allegedly bought state-issued birth certificates and Social Security cards, typically from Texas residents, and mailed them to Missouri.


    St. Joseph defendants allegedly went with the illegal immigrants to the license office, pretending to be translators, to help them get licenses under others’ names — after helping them practice forging the signatures and memorize the necessary information.


    Defendants Deborah Flores, 46, and her son, 24-year-old Stephen Vanvacter, own A to Z Auto Credit LLC, a St. Joseph used-car dealership that they allegedly used to transfer funds among conspirators and to receive some of the mailed documents.


    Other defendants include Flores’ sister, Sherri Gutierrez, 45, and Flores’ other children, Sara Gonzalez, 20; Christina Gonzalez, 23; and Jessica Mercedes Gonzalez, 21. All are from St. Joseph.


    Beyond that family, defendants included three Guatemalan citizens living in Carthage, Mo.; three San Antonio residents, two of whom are Mexican citizens; a Mexican citizen living in Chicago; and a Guatemalan citizen living in Mt. Olive, N.C.


    Seven of the defendants are in the United States unlawfully. Two previously were deported.

    Indictment: St. Joseph was hub of nationwide immigration scheme - Kansas City Business Journal
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  9. #19
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    Fifty held for selling US documents to illegal migrants

    bbc.co.uk
    11 January 2012
    Last updated at 19:38 ET

    Fifty people have been held over one of the largest fraud cases investigated by US immigration officials, involving alleged Puerto Rican identity theft.

    The accused conspired to sell the identities of thousands of Puerto Ricans to illegal immigrants, US authorities say.

    Legal documents were allegedly sold for as much as $2,500 (£1,631) per person.

    Hundreds of birth certificates, Social Security numbers and driver's licences were bought since 2009, officials say.

    A tip-off from police in the US state of Illinois prompted an almost two-year long undercover operation known as Island Express.

    The 50 suspects have each been charged with conspiracy to commit identification fraud, which carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

    Clothing-measures code

    A suspected network of people in several US states are said to have sold legal documents originating in the US island territory of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean as part of the alleged black-market ring.

    Puerto Rican documents were especially coveted because they are legitimate US documents with Hispanic names - and many illegal immigrants to the US are originally from Latin American countries.

    "The vast majority were legitimate documents obtained by fraudulent or false means,'' said Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton.

    "We have gone after everyone involved in the chain: the leaders, the suppliers, the brokers, the runners.''

    The alleged conspiracy was kept hidden through a sophisticated code system.

    Go-betweens would make coded phone calls asking for skirts for female customers and pants for male customers in specific sizes which referred to the age and type of identity requested, the ICE alleges.

    It is alleged that the suppliers even offered to exchange the documents if customers were not satisfied.

    In 2010, thousands of Puerto Ricans were reported to have been subject to identity fraud and in July of that year the government began annulling old birth certificates and issuing new ones with added security features in order to address the problem.

    It is not known how much money the gang made from the operation.

    BBC News - Fifty held for selling US documents to illegal migrants
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  10. #20
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    Criminal Alien Identity Theft Ring Uncovered in St. Joseph

    thesource.typepad.com
    Editorial Blog
    January 12, 2012


    Anyone familiar with St. Joseph over the last several years knows that things have been getting worse with regards to illegal immigration, with the St. Joseph area becoming home to one of the fastest growing populations of illegals in the nation.


    But it seems that criminal aliens haven't just been heading to St. Joseph for the work, rather they've been travelling from across the country in droves to obtain fake documents like birth certificates and social security numbers from a massive identity theft ring.


    Check out the highlights from this press release fresh out of the US Attorney's Office:
    14 defendants, including six members of a St. Joseph, Mo., family and three Guatemalan nationals in Carthage, Mo., have been indicted by a federal grand jury for participating in a more than $5 million conspiracy that utilized the Missouri Department of Revenue license office in St. Joseph to provide more than 3,500 fraudulent identity documents to illegal aliens across the United States.


    “St. Joseph was the hub of a criminal conspiracy for thousands of illegal aliens who traveled to Missouri from across the country,” Phillips said. “Conspirators operated a vast black market where identities were bought and sold. It’s crucial for business and public safety that we maintain the integrity of government-issued IDs. Those who profited from this illegal scheme will be held accountable.”


    If you ever wonder why liberals fight so damn hard to keep illegal immigration and an open border on the table, this kind of crap is the answer... they know the illegals will find a way around it all and end up on those voter rolls eventually.


    That's at least 3,500 new voters Obama can court this year in Missouri.


    Conspirators allegedly provided illegal aliens with birth certificates and Social Security cards in the names of others and provided them with Missouri residential addresses.


    The indictment alleges that illegal aliens would travel to St. Joseph from across the United States to obtain either a Missouri driver’s license or non-driver’s license by using the unlawfully obtained birth certificate and Social Security cards. The state licenses could then be used by the illegal aliens to remain unlawfully in the United States, to unlawfully obtain employment and for other unlawful purposes.


    The money involved apparently ain't bad, either:
    It is estimated that more than 3,500 licenses were issued to illegal aliens by the Department of Revenue license office in St. Joseph, according to the indictment.

    Illegal aliens each paid $1,500 to $1,600 to obtain documents and a license, the indictment says, totaling more than $5,250,000 in gross proceeds paid by illegal aliens to members of the conspiracy.



    ...that is until you get caught.


    St. Joseph has a major problem with illegal immigrants using the lax local government offices to scam on the government.


    In fact, in many St. Joseph offices bending over backwards for illegal aliens is encouraged and even enforced.


    We'll have more on this in the next several days. For now, we can be thankful this operation has been shut down.


    - B.H.


    Criminal Alien Identity Theft Ring Uncovered in St. Joseph - The Source
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