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One of the Biggest Identity Theft Cases in History!

CRIMINAL INDICTMENTS CHARGE 36 PERSONS WITH
TRAFFICKING IN FRAUDULENT NEW JERSEY DRIVER’S
LICENSES AND IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS
Multi-Agency Investigation Targeted "Brokers" & Corrupt
DMV Employees

TRENTON - Attorney General David Samson today announced the indictment of 36
individuals, including eight former Division of Motor Vehicle employees, on charges related to
the fraudulent issuance of New Jersey driver’s licenses and other official identification
documents. The crimes alleged in the indictments include document fraud, forgery and
identity theft - most significantly, the investigation uncovered evidence that the various
criminal enterprises specialized in providing the fraudulently issued identification documents
to individuals illegally residing in the United States in order that they could continue their
illegal residency.

According to Attorney General Samson, the indictments obtained by the Division of Criminal
Justice culminate an extensive two-year, multi-agency investigation which targeted various
criminal enterprises in the business of obtaining and selling fraudulent New Jersey Division of
Motor Vehicles (DMV) identification documents, including driver’s licenses, driver permits,
passports, social security cards, county ID cards and other official documents.

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The documents were allegedly sold to individuals otherwise unable to legally obtain valid driving licenses
and/or identification papers.

"Today’s indictments stand as a loud and clear message that New Jersey‘s official
identification documents are not for sale and corruption and profiteering is no longer business
as usual," Attorney General Samson said. "This criminal enterprise not only realized
enormous illegal profits for the defendants, but its very existence strikes at the core of our
efforts to assure integrity and security for all New Jerseyans. I am deeply concerned about
these findings and the actions of those individuals who knowingly participated in these
alleged activities. This investigation continues. Our State Police, Criminal Justice
investigators and Division of Motor Vehicle employees will continue their efforts to ferret out
additional illegal activity involving document fraud."

Announcing the State Grand Jury indictments were Peter C. Harvey, First Assistant Attorney
General and Director of the Division of Criminal Justice, Department of Transportation
Commissioner Jamie Fox, Diane Legreide, Director, Division of Motor Vehicles, Major Lori
Hennon-Bell, New Jersey State Police and law enforcement officers from the Union City
Police Department.

"These eight indictments charging 36 individuals send a clear, unmistakable message to
Criminal Indictments Charge 36 Persons with Trafficking in Fraudu... http://www.state.nj.us/lps/dcj/releases/2002/dmv0624.htm

criminals who commit DMV fraud: if you are dirty, we will get you," said Commissioner Fox.
"It must not be taken for granted that all someone has to do to get a license illegally is to
bribe a DMV employee. Corrupt employees will no longer be tolerated."
According to Criminal Justice Director Harvey, the State Grand Jury returned eight separate
criminal indictments charging 36 individuals with racketeering, bribery, official misconduct,
money laundering, theft, identity theft, forgery, falsifying records, tampering with public
records and conspiracy.

The indictments result from an ongoing, two-year investigation conducted by the Division of
Motor Vehicles Internal Investigations Unit, the New Jersey State Police Auto Unit, the
Division of Criminal Justice Organized Crime and Racketeering Bureau and the Union City
Police Department. The investigation tracks the alleged illegal activity from approximately
June, 2000 - January, 2001. The DMV agencies involved in the alleged illegal activity include
Wayne-46, East Orange, Rahway, Edison-Tano Mall, Newark and North Bergen.
The indictments allege numerous types of illegal activity, including:
• Obtaining driving permits without required personal identification;
• Employing other persons to take the written test;
• Obtaining answers to written tests from Driver Test Center employees;
• Having other individuals take the driving test in their place or having Driver
Test Center employees improperly certify the individual as having passed when,
in fact, the person never took the test;
• Issuance of valid photo drivers licenses through fraudulent means to persons
unable to legally obtain such licenses;
• Utilization of fraudulent credentials to obtain credit and to purchase goods and
services under the stolen identity of others.
The investigation uncovered an elaborate system of independent "brokers" who recruited
customers - usually persons who cannot legally obtain valid New Jersey driving credentials or
persons seeking identification documents to validate their illegal residency - and who were
willing to pay up to $2,000 for a valid New Jersey drivers license. The indictments allege that
the scheme was supported, and was successful, due to the complicity and participation of
corrupt DMV clerks and test center employees who solicited and received monies to provide
the fraudulent documents.

The investigation determined that the "brokers" operated in a business-like fashion,
competing with one another for customers and offering a full "menu" of services, including
DMV test-takers, shuttle drivers for customers and cooperating DMV employees. A code
system was devised wherein the participating DMV employee would look for a certain type of
watch, a colored wrist band, a certain type of baseball hat or a certain color of paper clip
attached to papers provided to the DMV clerk. Once the code of the day was recognized, the
cooperating DMV clerk would move the person through the "system."
The investigation uncovered evidence that the cost of a photo driver’s license averaged
between $1,200 and $2,000. Exam or test takers received $250 for taking the written tests,
while drivers hired to transport clients "door-to-door" received approximately $50-$150. DMV
clerks averaged $50-$200 per document transaction. The indictment alleges a scenario
involving a single clerk at the Wayne-46 Agency who allegedly produced more than 3,000
fraudulent licenses and permits at $50-$100 per document. It is further alleged that this
clerk received in excess of $100,000 cash over a six-eight month period.
The investigation revealed that, in some cases, "brokers" would arrange to steal the
legitimate identities of licensed drivers and after the licenses were obtained, the "broker"
would produce counterfeit pay stubs, W-2 documents, photo identification cards and similar
Criminal Indictments Charge 36 Persons with Trafficking in Fraudu... http://www.state.nj.us/lps/dcj/releases/2002/dmv0624.htm

documents as further proof of identification. Once the various forms of identification were
assembled, it is alleged that certain "brokers" would go to automobile dealerships and
purchase/lease vehicles with little or no money down utilizing the stolen identities of real
persons. The investigation tracked the fraudulent purchase of at least ten, late-model,
expensive automobiles valued at more than $415,000 accomplished through the identity theft
scheme.

The defendants, arrested at varying times throughout the investigation, will be notified to
appear in Superior Court for arraignment and bail. Court proceedings will take place in
Superior Courts located in Passaic, Middlesex, Hudson and Essex counties.
Attorney General Samson and Commissioner Fox credited the work of investigators and
auditors assigned to the Division of Motor Vehicles Internal Investigations Unit, detectives
assigned to the Division of State Police Auto Unit and Document Fraud Squad, state
investigators assigned to the Division of Criminal Justice Organized Crime and Racketeering
Bureau and detectives from the Union City Police Department for their work in pursuing the
continuing and often complicated investigation.
Deputy Attorney General Mark Eliades of the Division of Criminal Justice Organized Crime &
Racketeering Bureau was assigned to the investigation and presented the case to the State

Grand Jury.
Investigator Charles Rehberger of the DMV Internal Investigations Unit, Supervisor Mike Cox
of the DMV Central Driver Testing Center in Rahway, and Administrative Analyst I Gautam
Mankad of the MVS Internal Audit Unit; State Police Lt. Dan Pilla, DSG Kenneth Rowe, Det.
Stephen Jones and Det. Kenneth Johnson assigned to the State Police Auto Unit; Supervising
State Investigator Michael Tarantino and State Investigator’s Mario Estrada, Luisa Sanchez,
Ho Chul Shin and P.J. Sole assigned to the Division of Criminal Justice Organized Crime &
Racketeering Bureau, worked tirelessly to coordinate the investigative efforts. Additionally,
initial investigative information and continuing assistance was provided by Lt. Richard
Molinari, Det. Sgt. Emilio Gonzalez, Det. Jose Martinez and Det. Jack Ruiz of the Union City
Police Department.
In the interest of investigative security and pursuant to established court requirements, the
Division of Criminal Justice is limited in discussing additional specific details regarding the
alleged conspiracy and the investigation.
All persons charged with criminal complaints are presumed innocent unless and until proven
guilty in a court of law.
A list of those charged is attached.
The press release and defendant list is available via the Division of Criminal Justice Web
Page at: www.NJDCJ.org.
DEFENDANT LIST >>
DMV CHART>> Click for Printable PDF File
Criminal Indictments Charge 36 Persons with Trafficking in Fraudu... http://www.state.nj.us/lps/dcj/releases/2002/dmv0624.htm