State DOL worker arrested in fake ID scheme
By MARTHA KANG
KOMO-TV STAFF
Oct 15, 2010

BELLEVUE -- Federal officials have arrested a state Department of Licensing employee accused of producing fake ID cards.

Melinda K. Johnson has been charged with conspiracy to commit unlawful production of identification documents. She was arrested on Thursday by the Secret Service.

According to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court, Johnson made ID cards for individuals who lacked legal status in the U.S., as well as those who wanted multiple cards under false names in exchange for a lofty fee -- between $2,000 and $3,000 per card.

The licensing service representative issued the documents within the last five years while working at the Bellevue DOL office, the complaint said. Johnson has been an employee of the department since 2000, according to the state.

Federal officials first learned of the alleged scheme while investigating a multi-state check-kiting scheme that cost Bank of America more than $400,000 in losses. During the investigation, a confidential source told them about the alleged fake ID scheme involving Johnson.

The source said the scheme's ring leader directed interested parties to visit Johnson at the Bellevue DOL office at a designated time and submit an application for an ID card. Hours later, Johnson met the applicant at a nearby mall where she'd accept the payment for the job, the source told investigators. The ID cards were later mailed to a previously designated address, the document said.

The source provided investigators with copies of the ID cards Johnson had allegedly issued, as well as the applications that had preceded them. Officials said Johnson had even issued three different cards under three different names for one man, according to the complaint.

Telephone records showed numerous calls and text messages exchanged between Johnson and the ring leader around the dates on which the cards were issued, the complaint said.

Investigators believe there may be others involved in this alleged scheme. In June, one current and one former DOL worker were arrested in a case involving the sale of ID to illegal immigrants.

http://oneoldvet.com/

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/428517_dol15.html