FRESNO— On September 19, 2016, two Fresno residents pleaded guilty to a scheme that involved making and selling fake identification documents, including alien registration receipt cards and social security cards.
According to court documents, Francisco Javier Hidalgo-Flores, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiring to produce, transfer, possess, and sell false identification documents, and Lizet Amairani Ramirez-Zazueta, 26, pleaded guilty to transferring false identification documents.
"Creating and selling fraudulent government identification documents puts all of us at risk," said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona. "California Department of Motor Vehicle investigators are guardians of our driver licenses and California identification cards. They work to find those who are creating fake documents and see those cases through to arrest and prosecution."
According to the plea agreements, between June 2015 and June 17, 2016, Hidalgo-Flores made fraudulent IDs including social security cards and alien registration receipt cards, for customers who placed orders and paid as much as $150 for a set of the fraudulent documents. Hidalgo-Flores and Ramirez-Zazueta also delivered the phony documents to customers and other co-conspirators in Fresno and Madera Counties.
The pair, along with four co-defendants, were indicted for the scheme on June 16, 2016. Charges are pending against the remaining co-defendants.
Hidalgo-Flores and Ramirez-Zazueta are scheduled to be sentenced on December 12, 2016. Hidalgo-Flores faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine; Ramirez-Zazueta faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Investigations Division.
"This case is another excellent example of how Association of Motor Vehicle Investigators of California (AMVIC) members work alongside allied law enforcement agencies at the city, county and federal level to ensure the safety of the public," said AMVIC President and CSLEA FOP Lodge 77 Vice President Kenny Ehrman.
