41 Nabbed In ID Fraud

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown shows some of the fraudulent documents seized when 41 people from California to Jackson Heights were indicted on Monday, October 15 for obtaining information, creating and selling the items.

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, joined by Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, Acting New York State Police Superintendent Preston L. Felton, New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner David J. Swarts, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the New York Office of the United States Secret Service Michael Mooney and Special Agent in Charge of the United States Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General Edward J. Ryan, announced on Tuesday, October 16 that 41 individuals- from suppliers based in California to members of cells operating out of the Jackson Heights area of Queens County- have been indicted on charges of operating or participating in two criminal enterprises that annually took in more than $1.5 million by supplying fraudulent government identity documents, such as resident alien cards, driver's licenses and Social Security cards, to individuals throughout the country. Twenty of the defendants are in custody and 21 others are presently being sought.

Brown said, "Today's indictments are the result of a two-year investigation that included months of court-authorized eavesdropping and video surveillance and thousands of intercepted telephone calls. During the investigation hundreds of arrests were made of those purchasing fraudulent documents and numerous search warrants were executed, resulting in the closure of a number of fraudulent identification mills and the seizure of thousands of completed, semi-completed and blank forged government identification documents, including driver's licenses and identification cards from many different states, Central America and Mexico together with the tools, such as typewriters, paper cutters, laminators, embossed laminated sheets and photo scanners, necessary to create the fraudulent documents. Among those arrested are a husband and wife team who allegedly supplied from their base in California accomplices on the East Coast with the needed raw materials, including Mexican driver's licenses from various states in Mexico and blank permanent resident cards with Department of Justice seals on them."

The District Attorney added, "More than a source of identification, these fraudulent documents are used as passports to a way of life that has been the dream of millions of immigrants over the centuries. These documents allow individuals to live, work and travel in this country- attend our schools, obtain employment, operate motor vehicles, open lines of credit and even obtain government benefits- under assumed names or by using the identity of others. At the same time, these counterfeit documents have turned the fabled American dream into a nightmare because the widespread black market trafficking of such bogus documents can easily be used by those who seek to undermine the efforts of Homeland Security and other law enforcement officials intent on keeping our borders and citizens safe. Such a serious threat to public safety cannot go unchallenged. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement colleagues to prevent the proliferation of fraudulent documents."

Kelly said, "I want to commend the NYPD's Gang Division and our Identity Theft Squad detectives and their state and federal partners, along with the Queens prosecutors, for this successful operation. They worked like gang busters, literally, in driving this fraudulent documents ring out of business."

Felton said, "This investigation collaboratively utilized agencies and officers with an array of specialized investigative techniques to shut down a fraudulent identification document enterprise. These indictments and arrests terminated an ongoing criminal operation that could have potentially jeopardized national security."

Swarts said, "The shutting down of these document mills and the arrests of the individuals operating them will go a long way in getting illegal forms of identification off the streets and help ensure the integrity of future documentation. The arrest of those who trade in false documents is good for the security of all New Yorkers. Our investigations team is proud to be a part of this cooperative effort that thwarted this multi-million dollar illegal enterprise."

Mooney said, "The Secret Service works in concert with state and local police departments to ensure our resources are being targeted to those criminal activities that are of high concern to local communities. We work very closely with both federal and local prosecutors to ensure our investigations are relevant and prosecutable under existing guidelines."

Ryan said, "The Office of the Inspector General is the law enforcement arm of the Social Security Administration. This Office is responsible to protect SSA programs from fraud, waste and abuse, as well as preserve the integrity of the Social Security Number. This joint investigation illustrates our office's dedication to the aggressive pursuit of any criminal enterprise which engages in the intentional misuse of the Social Security Number. We will continue our strides to preserve the integrity of the Social Security Number and pursue illegal activity relating to identification documents. I would like to thank the Queens District Attorney's Office and the other law enforcement representatives involved in this case for their sustained partnership and commitment in addressing this critical issue."

Brown said that the investigation leading to the charges began in October 2005 when information developed by the NYPD Queens Gang Squad concerning the manufacture, sale, distribution and possession of forged identity documents, including driver's licenses, alien registration cards, passports, visas and Social Security cards being sold on Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights- an area which is considered to be the epicenter of such fraudulent activity on the East Coast- was shared with the Queens District Attorney's Counter-Terrorism Unit. A task force was then established with various government agencies on the city, state and federal levels.

According to the District Attorney, such fraudulent identification document enterprises typically consist of a boss, a cutter, runners and street sellers. The "street sellers" deal directly with the buyers and obtain the photographs and personal information that are to be placed on the forged documents; "runners" pick up orders and deliver them to the "mill" where the fraudulent documents are generated; and then the "cutters" produce the documents. The typical street price for a Social Security card is $40, a New York state driver's license costs $50 and a DHS-ICE resident alien card costs $60.

Brown expressed his appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for their assistance during the investigation.