The Tijeras Motor Vehicle Division office
Posted on 08/31/2006 6:57:26 AM PDT by CedarDave
The Tijeras Motor Vehicle Division office was closed for several hours Tuesday after allegations surfaced that the office was issuing driver's licenses illegally.
The MVD office was opened again on Wednesday, but Bernalillo County sheriff's deputies and state Department of Taxation and Revenue officials continued to investigate.
Auditors and investigators from Taxation and Revenue were sent to Tijeras after reports that driver's licenses were being issued improperly to illegal immigrants, MVD spokesman David Harwell said Wednesday.
Auditors found records of about 100 driver's licenses issued to illegal immigrants through the Tijeras office, he said.
All of the license numbers have been flagged in the MVD computer system used to check driving records, so that law enforcement officers will know the licenses are invalid, Harwell said.
MVD Director Ken Ortiz said the case in Tijeras involved immigrants receiving New Mexico driver's licenses after they presented fake documents. He said one employee was being investigated.
"They were bringing fake Social Security cards and birth certificates, and a clerk was accepting them," Ortiz said
Officials haven't determined whether the employee knew the documents were fraudulent or believed they were real.
The tip to law enforcement apparently came from a concerned citizen. A.J. Wood, 23, told KOAT-TV, Channel 7, on Tuesday that he had been noticing suspicious behavior at the MVD office in Tijeras for the past month.
Wood told KOAT he suspected people were bringing cash and fake documents to the MVD office and walking out with identity cards and driver's licenses, and he called the Sheriff's Office.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
Slim, this what you've been up to in your spare time??
I hope they don't shut it down, there's never a line there.
Tijeras village government is "classically" New Mexican.
Wonder if the MVD employee under investigation is related to Astorga's aunt??
If it's ONE employee being investigated, you can bet that was the person who was issuing the licenses and taking the bribes, and most likely a Mexican.
Our local social security office only has one non-Mexican employee that I've ever see, and Mexicans are called first and given the most time. The employees are just rude to the rest of us. It's infuriating.
How about a thank you to A.J. Wood, 23
I don't know if NM is anything like NC but as soon as they get the license or ID card they are handed a voter registration form to fill out.
The Tijeras Motor Vehicle Division office
Probably not, there's a couple local families involved and lots of politicking in town.
That's actually the visitor center and brothel.
Updated photo.
ping
ping
An example needs to be made here.
Wow! They've done wonders with the place. ;)
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