FRESNO —Maria Victoria Perez-Vasquez, 32, a citizen of Mexico residing in Fresno, was sentenced March 12, 2018 to 15 months in prison for conspiracy to transfer, possess, and sell false identification documents.

According to court documents, between June 2015 and June 2016, Perez-Vasquez conspired with five others to sell fraudulent identification documents, including social security cards and alien registration receipt cards, to customers who placed orders and paid as much as $150 for a set of the fraudulent documents.

“Creating and selling fraudulent identification and official government documents puts all of us at risk,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) investigators stand guard over California Drivers Licenses and ID cards.   They know the dangers to our security when false IDs are created and used.  They are often called upon by local and federal law enforcement for assistance with these types of cases.”

Departments nvestigating this case were:

• the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
• and the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Investigations Division.

On June 16, 2016, Perez-Vasquez and five co-defendants, all citizens of Mexico, were arrested for the scheme. Four of the other co-defendants pleaded guilty and have been sentenced. Charges are pending against the remaining co-defendant, Fidel Vasquez-Velazquez, who is a fugitive following his failure to appear in court for a bond forfeiture hearing on August 22, 2016. The charges against him are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.