Couple Accused Of Making IDs For Middle Easterners

Local6.com ^ | August 13, 2002 | Staff Writer

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

MIAMI -- A couple counterfeited passports and other official papers for dozens of Middle Eastern acquaintances at their print shop in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood, an informant told federal agents. Maher Karaki, who is of Lebanese descent, and his Colombian-born wife, Clara Luz Suarez, made their initial court appearances Monday on a false document conspiracy charge and were held without bail.

An informant, whose name was not disclosed, told investigators that Karaki had provided identity documents to "scores of Middle Easterners'' living illegally in the United States, according to a court affidavit.

False papers provided by Karaki included U.S. passports, driver's licenses, Social Security cards, immigration papers, birth and death certificates and bank statements, the informant said.

"They make it sound like some huge operation, but what they've got on paper is one incident,'' said Scott Kotler, Suarez's attorney. "It's not helping her that her husband is from Lebanon.''

The affidavit outlining the investigation was filed by the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service to support search warrants served at the business and the couple's home in the affluent suburb of Coral Gables.

The informant ordered business cards from Karaki at the store in July and told investigators that Karaki offered to get a U.S. passport for a friend for $20,000.

By the final bargaining, the price had dropped to $10,000, and a U.S. birth certificate would cost an extra $1,000. The informant made a $200 down payment and received a receipt saying, "Deposit for paper.''

In the end, nothing was delivered. When the informant went to the shop to pick up the documents Friday, Suarez said Karaki had the passport but had been arrested the night before.

Karaki earlier boasted to the informant of having an inside contact at the Miami passport office and that his price was so high because the passport was real, not counterfeit.

The informant ended up meeting with Suarez instead of Karaki at the shop July 31 because Karaki said he was out picking up a passport that he had been waiting a month to obtain.

Suarez said Karaki told her that the informant needed a passport. She wrote a note, which was impounded as evidence, listing six things needed to produce the passport ordered by the informant.

The informant said Karaki provided a sibling with a counterfeit Arabic death certificate for $300 but would only get passports for people he knew personally.

The informant wore a wire to record conversations with the couple.

There was no telephone listing for their company. A cell phone number listed on Karaki's business card reached a recording Monday saying the line was unavailable.

State corporate records for Image Signs and Graphics at the Miami address identified Suarez as an officer but said the company had officially dissolved last Sept. 21. The informant had meetings with Karaki and Suarez at the shop in July and August.

A call to the State Department was referred to the U.S. attorney's office, which did not return calls for comment.

Karaki was arrested at home, and Suarez was taken into custody at their business.

Karaki's attorney, Joseph Rosenbaum, said his client had not read the criminal complaint yet so they had no comment on it. Rosenbaum said Karaki has been a U.S. citizen for about 15 years and arrived in his teens.

Suarez, 42, came to the United States 20 years ago and became a U.S. citizen eight years ago, Kotler said.

C

[Bikers4Bush]

People like this need to be thrown in jail until even their bones have turned to dust.

[smokegenerator]

We need that entreprising fee-spirit...:)