DMV employees accused of taking payoffs for driver's license
Three DMV employees accused of taking payoffs for driver's licenses
Up to 100 people may have used fake papers to get licenses
9:52 p.m. EDT, May 2, 2011
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FORT LAUDERDALE— Three former employees of the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles may have approved up to 100 driver's licenses for people with fake immigration papers, according to federal prosecutors.
The three women — who worked in different offices in Broward County — appeared Monday morning in federal court after their indictments last week for allegedly processing the license applications. Each is accused of accepting payoffs of up to $500 per driver's license arranged by Rolin Pierre, a convicted felon who is accused of putting together the phony immigration documents.
Pierre as well as 14 people who received the fake driver's licenses also have been criminally charged.
"Fraud in the production and transfer of valid identification documents is a threat to our homeland security," said U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer in a news release. "We are pleased to have put these defendants out of business."
The former state employees arrested were: Mariline Myriam Ade, 42, of Miramar; Alysia Jackson, 44, of Sunrise; and Tempest Shanesha Wright, 30, of Fort Lauderdale.
Ade, who worked in the Fort Lauderdale office, and Jackson, who worked in the Lauderhill office, were both fired Friday after their arrests, said Dave Westberry, communications director for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Wright resigned from her job at the Pompano Beach office last year.
They each could face up to 15 years in prison on charges of producing a false driver's license and conspiracy to produce a false driver's license.
The former state employees spent the weekend in jail before their court hearings in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Seltzer. At the request of federal prosecutors, the judge set each woman's bond set at $50,000.
In all of the women's cases, Pierre, 50, also was indicted. Court documents indicate he coordinated the alleged scheme from January 2009 until late last year.
Pierre is facing sentencing next week for re-entering the country illegally. He has been deported twice before and has convictions in the United States on fraud and drug charges, court records show.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Couriel said he would be recommending pre-trial detention for all the people arrested for having the fraudulent immigration documents they used to get driver's licenses.
Westberry declined to discuss details about the investigation, directing questions to federal authorities.
"The bottom line to our agency is we put a lot of time and effort training these folks and we are committed to ensuring the security and integrity of the driver's license issuance process," he said. "When you have the arrests made last week, that's a direct result of us working with law enforcement agencies."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/browar ... 4211.story
