As state sat, illegals got OKs to drive (Ohio)

As state sat, illegals got OKs to drive Sunday, September 13, 2009 3:46 AM By Randy Ludlow THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH A loophole in an Ohio policy allowed thousands of undocumented immigrants to register cars and get license plates even though many did not have valid Social Security numbers or car insurance.

The practice was so widespread that law officers in other states asked the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles why they were seeing so many undocumented immigrants driving cars registered in Ohio.

State Public Safety Director Henry Guzman delayed a proposed crackdown for more than a year after he met with people who cater to such immigrants, including people who were profiting from obtaining plates.

Guzman initially requested tougher regulations, describing them as vital to "the safety and security of all Ohioans from a Homeland Security perspective." The regulations were to take effect on Aug. 1, 2008.

But he decided they needed more work after a July 31, 2008, meeting with dozens of mostly Latino business owners. The car dealers, financing and insurance-company officials, and others were worried about their bottom lines and undocumented workers' ability to drive and support their families.

Officials say that, unknown to Guzman, present at the meeting were some "runners" -- Latinos with legal U.S. residency who collected fees of more than $100 each from undocumented workers to register vehicles with falsified power-of-attorney forms.

Guzman's planned two-week moratorium ultimately stretched to more than a year. The stricter regulations weren't put in place until Aug. 24 this year.

Guzman announced his resignation three days later amid a feud with State Highway Patrol superintendent Richard Collins, who also quit. Guzman's last day on the job is Friday. He did not respond to a request to be interviewed for this story.

The new policy requires that those who use power-of-attorney forms provide the driver's license number or state ID number of the person for whom they are registering a vehicle, so BMV officials can verify the identity of the vehicle owner. Illegal immigrants typically don't have a state-issued driver's license. Need for action

After Guzman delayed enacting the policy, records show that dozens of runners were obtaining ever-larger numbers of license plates for undocumented workers, particularly in Franklin County, and were shipping plates out of state.

U.S. postal inspectors and police in Hammonton, N.J., reported this year that packages of Ohio license plates were mailed regularly to that city and showed up on cars there. Checks showed the cars were registered to people with Latino surnames and Columbus addresses.

Documents obtained by The Dispatch show that then-BMV Registrar Mike Rankin regularly pushed Guzman and his staff to put the stricter policy into effect.

(Public Safety lawyers refused to release some records, saying they were protected by attorney-client privilege or were confidential law-enforcement investigatory documents.)

"The director has not lifted his moratorium; however, it's time to move forward as our review does not indicate any significant or compelling business impacts that would justify any delay," Rankin wrote on Jan. 6.

Rankin followed up on June 26: "Henry (Guzman) needs to move on this issue ASAP -- no more delays. We have other out-of-state PDs (police departments) reporting in as well on this issue."

Public Safety officials say that it was Rankin and his staff members who dragged their feet in addressing concerns raised by Guzman and his staff and not providing final forms and procedures until June.

After accusing Guzman of interfering with his work, Rankin resigned as BMV registrar in July to become assistant secretary of state. Rankin declined to comment for this story.

Ohio Inspector General Thomas P. Charles is inquiring into the delay in implementing the policy and its impact, asking for records associated with the policy, sources told The Dispatch. Charles declined to comment. Delay defended

Guzman's decision to change the policy was driven by "legitimate concerns," said bureau spokeswoman Lindsay Komlanc.

"Director Guzman agreed to temporarily suspend the original verification policy to allow time for better understanding," with the delay also identifying problems that needed to be corrected, she said.

Officials worried that the new process would be unwieldy and could harm the ability of auto dealers and others to easily obtain vehicle registrations, Komlanc said.

For example, a requirement that a photocopy of driver's licenses or ID cards accompany power-of- attorney forms was dropped, she said.

Ohio House Minority Leader William G. Batchelder, R-Medina, said the registration procedure should have been enacted when scheduled to deny license plates to undocumented workers, then any problems could have been resolved later.

"I'm absolutely baffled," Batchelder said. "They were intentionally permitting the law to be violated. It's unbelievable."

For at least four years, BMV investigators have considered Ohio a haven for the registration of vehicles by illegal immigrants, both inside and outside the state, according to BMV records.

Ohio required only a Social Security number for a person to register a vehicle on behalf of another with a power-of-attorney form, and federal law prohibited the state from checking the numbers to verify identities, and thus U.S. residency.

In 2007, state lawmakers authorized using driver's license or ID numbers to register vehicles in what was largely an identity-theft-protection move because people dislike turning over their Social Security numbers.

Guzman decided to toughen the process after a pregnant illegal immigrant was killed in an illegally registered vehicle driven by her husband. The vehicle had been registered with a falsified power-of-attorney form. The driver ran a stoplight and crashed into a state salt truck at Hayden Run Road and Riverside Drive in Perry Township on Jan. 1, 2008. 'Clearly fraudulent'

According to memos not released by the state but obtained by The Dispatch, some within the Bureau of Motor Vehicles pushed for the crackdown.

"This loophole has actually spawned a cottage industry wherein persons with acceptable identification charge exorbitant fees to obtain annual vehicle registrations for those who lack acceptable identification," BMV investigator Tim Hughes wrote on May 4.

"Central Ohio has become an area of sanctuary where undocumented foreign nationals" can get license plates and often drive without insurance, he added.

Following Guzman's moratorium on enforcing the tougher regulations, records show, he asked for a closer look at the problem.

In the following two weeks, 47 "runners" used power-of-attorney forms to register more than 600 vehicles in Franklin County, BMV investigators found.

Looking at a sample of 180 of the vehicles, the BMV could not confirm that even one registration was legitimate. Seventy-two registrations were "clearly fraudulent," and the rest were questionable, investigators said.

"However, we were able to determine that, during the two-week period, one of the concerned 'community representatives' who had met with Director Guzman had grossed an estimated $16,000 in fees," an investigator wrote.

The runner had registered 129 vehicles after collecting a $130 fee on each -- in addition to registration fees, which typically total $54.50 in Franklin County.

Guzman was unaware that "runners" were among the more than 35 business owners who met with him and some top aides on July 31, 2008, Komlanc said. The "runners" advertised in local Spanish-language newspapers, offering to register vehicles for fees in excess of $100.

A list of those attending the meeting and records reflecting what was discussed do not exist, Komlanc said. Old policy defended

Early this year, an investigator who described the problem as negligible said criminal charges could not be pursued against "runners" or others with illegal plates. "The Columbus city prosecutor's office has refused to accept criminal charges related to a statute that BMV has failed to implement," he wrote.

Those who fraudulently register a vehicle can be charged with falsification, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

More than 60,000 Ohio vehicle registrations do not have a Social Security number attached to them, raising the possibility that they are fraudulent. BMV officials cannot estimate how many are registered to illegal immigrants. Sources within the BMV suggest they account for most of that number.

Enrique Robledo, owner of Los Amigos Auto Sales at 2121 W. Mound St., helped lead last summer's effort to write letters and lobby Guzman.

"We all explained the losses we were going to have and the impact on the Latino community," said Robledo, who sells most of his cars to undocumented workers. "(Guzman) did the right thing."

Since registration procedures were toughened, Robledo says, his sales have dived. Runners are heading to states with looser regulations, such as Kentucky, to register cars, he said. Rather than use runners, Robledo said he would register vehicles for his customers for a fee of $10 to $15.

Undocumented workers should be allowed to register their vehicles, stay on the road and help support the American economy, Robledo said. "Who's going to cook in the restaurants? Who's going to be cutting the yards?"

"Robledo said. "Who's going to cook in the restaurants? Who's going to be cutting the yards?"

Mow your own lawn and cook your own meals.

I understand why the Liberals call Ohio a ‘fly-over’ state; you certainly don’t want to drive through it.

I am sure that is the case in WA, as well. MANY MANY apparently illegals driving around in pretty new looking vehicles. They aren’t going to let a chance to get revenue slip past, are they?

ping

Wait till they drudge up the numbers on DUIs, hit and runs, abductions and how many actually are trucking without valid licenses.

Oh, and how many found guilty they release (if caught), because of status, versus those being released (if held), due to medical ‘inefficiencies’ (per ACLU)and crowding.

America is indeed the land of opportunity.

Mow your own lawn and cook your own meals.

Or at least be willing to pay someone a fair wage for doing the same. Amazing how that works.

6 posted on 09/13/2009 11:13:48 AM PDT by pnh102 (Regarding liberalism, always attribute to malice what you think can be explained by stupidity. - Me)

To add- If anyone I knew was killed by a drunk illegal that had no insurance, given a right to drive , I would personally seek vengeance against anyone in the process that allowed it to happen.

“Robledo said. “Who’s going to cook in the restaurants? Who’s going to be cutting the yards?”

You’d be surprised there Robledo at just how many UNEMPLOYED
AMERICANS would do it.

When I needed to go in person to renew my Wisconsin DL a few years ago, it was like the freakin’ UN at that DOT office. There were more illegals there than there were Americans. English was not the predominant language, it was Spanish. I sat and waited for over an hour, in that crowded room(crowded by illegals) for my turn along with a few other stunned Americans. It was like we were in a foreign country. They issued WI DLs to all who were there. It’s the easy gateway documentation to live as an illegal while appearing slightly legal, the driver’s license. As long as Wisconsin is run by liberals this will continue to happen.

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