Posted on 03/31/2006 4:49:12 PM PST by doug from upland
11 charged in ICE crackdown on south Los Angeles counterfeit document mills
Mills produced fake "green cards," Social Security cards, and drivers licenses
LOS ANGELES - Eleven defendants face federal charges today following a massive multi-agency operation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targeting a string of counterfeit document mills suspected of supplying a significant quantity of the fraudulent immigration and identity documents being sold on the streets of Los Angeles.
Yesterday morning, ICE agents and investigators from the California Department of Motor Vehicles executed search warrants at seven suspected counterfeit document mills housed in residences in south Los Angeles. Authorities arrested ten of the defendants as part of yesterday's enforcement action. The remaining suspect was already in custody on unrelated state charges.
During the day-long operation, investigators seized a wide array of document making equipment and materials, including computers, printers, software, and laminates. At one of the locations, agents also recovered a loaded, sawed-off shotgun.
According to the search warrant affidavits, the four-month ICE undercover probe revealed that the targeted document mills were manufacturing a variety of counterfeit immigration and identity documents, such as permanent resident alien or “green” cards, Social Security cards, and California driver licenses. The affidavit details how ICE orchestrated undercover buys of counterfeit documents from the targeted producers for prices ranging from $100 to $150 a set. The sets typically included a fraudulent “green card” and Social Security card.
“Trafficking in counterfeit documents poses a serious security vulnerability and contributes to a host of other types of crimes, including identity theft and financial fraud,” said Kevin Jeffery, acting special agent in charge for ICE investigations in Los Angeles. “Our goal is to identify and ultimately dismantle the criminal organizations behind these highly lucrative schemes.”
“Ensuring the security of personal information we are entrusted with and the integrity of California Driver Licenses are truly our top priorities,” said Michael Champion, DMV deputy director of investigations. “Our partnership with the Department of Homeland Security in these enforcement efforts serves notice to those who try to defraud our state and our nation: we will use every resource we can to put you out of business and keep you out of business.”
The subjects arrested in yesterday's operation are expected to make their initial appearance in federal court today. The defendants face a variety of charges involving the sale, manufacture, and distribution of counterfeit documents.
Combating document counterfeiting and identity theft is a top ICE enforcement priority. Over the past two years, the number of ICE investigations targeting identity and benefit fraud nationwide have risen dramatically, increasing from 2,334 investigations in fiscal year 2004 to 3,591 investigations in fiscal year 2005. During that same time frame, ICE arrests nationwide involving these types of cases climbed from 1,300 to 1,391, while indictments surged from 767 to 875.
Interesting how the government starts doing their job when voters start raising hell and pounding on the table.
Here's a link to something similiar:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1607163/posts
Great we have 12 to 20 million people who invaded our country who more than likely have fake green cards which opens the welfare door to them , Medicaid, and who knows what else but yet no one in Washington is even asking the question what is the real reason they invaded.
All you hear is the same old yired cliche "they only came to do the "JOBS AMERICANS WON'T DO " really? How do you know that's what they really came in for?
In case you didn't see this yet.
I've stood on a SF streetcorner and watched as illegals went in one door and came out the back door. Tons of them milling around outside. Friends told me it was a fake document parlor around the Mission district.
Would you believe that the government has 50+ different computer systems that handle AFDC and food stamps? And that a person can obtain benefits in Texas Florida and New York and have the checks send to Matamoros? Because (drum roll) they don't simply compare the social security numbers from all the different systems to see if people are collecting more than once.
You called ICE and the FBI right?
You called ICE and the FBI right?
Nope, this was a few years ago, before I was acutely aware as I am now; also I didn't actually SEE any direct evidence; friends told me what was going on and it looked obvious to me. But I didn't actually see any fake IDs going down. Just the crowd milling and some kind of "business" happening. If you're familiar with the Mission district in SF you'd know what I mean - it's "little Mexico" pretty much, with other central American people as well. All Spanish, all the time.
I'd alert authorities now if I saw something like that.
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