Posted on 12/30/2004 6:01:58 AM PST by LoneGOPinCT
December 30, 2004
By DAVE ALTIMARI, Courant Staff Writer
The expanding investigation into a scheme to sell bogus Connecticut driver's licenses took a troubling twist Wednesday with charges that Department of Motor Vehicle workers helped steal the identities of legitimate license holders, including a Farmington school official.
Until now, law enforcement officials had characterized the scheme as a way for illegal immigrants to obtain bogus identification - with potential national security implications. DMV employees had previously been charged with issuing the licenses in the names of the illegal immigrants.
But court records supporting Wednesday's arrests of DMV workers Venita Bines, 40, of Bridgeport, and Tracy Stevenson-Lucas, 31, of Stratford, show bogus licenses were issued under the names of legitimate license holders dating back to the summer.
Bines was charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery. Bines is accused of issuing phony licenses in the names of Irving A. Robbins Middle School Assistant Principal Patrick Milling and a Bristol man. The licenses were used to open a $4,000 credit card account at a jewelry store in Milling's name and to withdraw $11,500 from Robert Melenski's bank account.
"What this shows us is there are people who commit crimes who want to get phony identities, not just illegal immigrants," Chief State's Attorney Christopher Morano said. "We're only five weeks into this investigation and already we've uncovered a lot, but there's a lot more work to be done."
----SNIP----
(Excerpt) Read more at ctnow.com ...
LOL - The Hartford Koran.
CT News Ping List PING!
If you'd like to be on or off my seldom used CT NEWS ONLY PING list, please let me know. This is a fairly low volume list.
Awww, they changed it on the link! 8^)
After they stopped some 15-20 people with the same address, they figured something was up.
This is worse than huge, We need to do a serious freeping of the Capital building.
And I am not kidding, anyone up for this??
Gee, ya think?
This is not series, it is serious, only, what other than big brother can fix it?
I am sure our esteemed Demorat legislature can take care of this. In between giving the govt employees some more pay raises, and voting on Governor Rell's "carryover" dept heads, they should have plenty of time to adress this hugh issue. Of course, they may want to address attracting business to the Nutmeg State first....well on second thought....
Soon, look for: "Homeland Security workers help stel identities of National Identity Card holders." It will be much more profitable to steal National Identity Card information.
LOL! Done, my FRiend. Actually I just scan the rag's website every morning to see what's going on in the state. I know better than to believe most of what's in it especially on the national and global scene!8^)
The Courant, like the rest of the MSM, just can't understand why their subscribership/viewership continues to free fall. Amazing.
"The Courant, like the rest of the MSM, just can't understand why their subscribership/viewership continues to free fall. Amazing."
Oh they know they have a problem, but THE AGENDA is number one. To them what good is more readership if they can't force their slant on that readership.
ping
One of the operators, who is Puerto Rican, told me of a guy in the pressroom who came up to him and wanted to know what "garnish of wages" for $250 meant. He asked the guy if he had any kids. The guy said no. Then he said that this is usually for child support - what about the guy you bought the id from? The other guy said, "SOB. That M-fer."
It seems that someone sold him an id and now he's paying that person's child support. He has to work two extra days a week just to pay someone else's child support. Can't do anything about it.
Poetic justice if you ask me.
People smuggling and identity theft are just 2 of the wonderful benefits of the massive illegal immigration industry in America.
Serves him right!
Woo Hoo! Glad a US kid with a deadbeat parent is getting the benefit of this. That almost makes up for all the other handouts they're getting.
If I weren't 3000 miles from the capitol, I'd join you! I'm working on it from here and the contacts to congress are helping.
It appears VISA has jumped onto the illegal alien money wagon. What is interesting is the Visa number of $38 billion being sent "home" by illegals. We thought the number was about $30 billion. Mexico's second industry is growing! And undoubtedly the number of illegals living in this country. How does anyone think they are a net contributor to our country???HOW?
******
Lou Dobbs Show/CNN/Aired 12/28/04
Snip------
And Visa targets immigrant workers in a new ad campaign. But some say the program pose poses a security risk to this country.
PILGRIM: Visa International is launching an aggressive campaign to convince Latin American migrant workers to use plastic to send money back home. Now, Visa hopes to take over some of the money transfer business from companies like Western Union and Moneygram. Critics say using debit cards to transfer money raises new security concerns. Lisa Sylvester has the story.
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT : Visa, it's everywhere you want to be, and in some places, you may not expect it to be. Visa International is targeting migrant and other workers from Latin America as its new favorite customer. The company is marketing its smart card that works as a prepaid debit card. Workers in the United States can easily transfer money to relatives abroad at a low cost. The banking industry hopes to tap into the remittance payment market that has been growing at an astronomical pace.
MANUEL OROZCO, INTER-AMERICAN DIALOGUE: In 2001, it is total volume of remittances to Latin American was $18 billion, and it grew to $38 billion three years later.
SYLVESTER: Wire services, including Western Union and Moneygram so far have dominated the $38 billion money-transfer market. A recent study found that 86 percent of remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean were cash transfers, 4 percent home delivery, 4 percent bank or credit union deposit, and 1 percent debit or smart card. Not everyone agrees that banking institutions make it easier to send money out of the country. Critics say nearly $40 billion a year exiting the United States is not small change, and leaves less money for some of the poorest U.S. communities. And there's also a potential security risk.
MARK KRIKORIAN, CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES: Immigrant remittances are one of the ways bad guys can transfer money across borders because even though most of that money is completely innocent, people working jobs and sending money home, it can serve as cover for terrorists, other kinds of criminals to move money.
SYLVESTER: But Visa and other credit card companies are charging forward, reaching into one of the few untapped markets.
SYLVESTER: The banking industry is convinced it can capture more of the market because its costs tend to be lower than traditional wire transfers. The bank costs as little as $8 a transfer, using the smart cards, and on the other hand, wire services can cost up to $25 a transfer. Kitty?
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0412/28/ldt.01.html
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