3 suspects arrested in alleged document forgery ring

Scott McKane, Reporter

Fox 13 News

11:37 p.m. MDT, April 14, 2011


OGDEN, Utah—
The Utah Attorney General's SECURE task force capped a busy week Wednesday night with two search warrants, three arrests and a fraudulent document mill busted in Ogden.

Agents from Statewide Enforcement of Crimes by Undocumented Residents (SECURE) say it's part of a group they've been investigating for more than a month, a ring that has also been operating in neighboring states. Only FOX 13 was there as state and federal agents raided two Ogden homes Wednesday.

"This investigation has been one of our top priorities over the past month," said Rhett McQuiston of the SECURE task force.

Agents arrested suspects Anna Maria Espinoza DeRodriguez, Ubaldo Morales and Carlos Valdivia.

For the past month, agents have been investigating complaints that the three suspects, all of them believed to be in the U.S. illegally, and who police believe are responsible for a huge document mill with customers in Weber, Davis and Salt Lake counties, as well as folks in neighboring states, paying cash for fake documents.

"For manufacturing fake government documents such as driver's licenses, social security numbers, fake green cards, you name it," said Agent Rhett McQuiston of the SECURE task force.

Secure officers worked closely with federal ICE agents assigned to homeland security as well as the detention and removal team. The suspects face a whole host of felony charges and most will be deported after their cases are resolved.

Since it was formed in late 2009, secure agents have conducted dozens of raids, made 170 arrests and seized thousands of forged documents. At least 10 people have been arrested in connection with the most recent operation.

www.fox13now.com