Illegal immigrants accused of selling fake driver's licenses on The Murfreesboro Post

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Illegal immigrants accused of selling fake driver's licenses

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By: By Lisa Marchesoni - Jan. 22, 2008 - 3:37 PM

Illegal immigrants accused of selling fake driver's licenses | fake driver's license, illegal aliens, hispanic, immigration

Cash, computer equipment and fake driver's licenses were seized by authorities.

Four illegal immigrants accused of making and selling international driver’s licenses face felony criminal simulation charges, a Murfreesboro Police officer said Tuesday.

Police responding to an anonymous call arrived at Plaza Mexico Sunday morning on South Church Street where they found four people issuing identifications labeled as an “international driving document,” Officer Chad Hershman reported.

Two customers told Hershman and Officer Tracey Womack they understood the identification was for a legitimate driver’s license.

Womack obtained warrants Tuesday charging illegal immigrants Edgar Barrios, Rosa Cordero, Gelacio Rodriguez and Sara Solorzano with two counts each of criminal simulation. They are being held at Rutherford County Adult Detention Center for the federal Immigration Customs Enforcement office.

Police entering the business found a table with computer equipment and several people standing in line talking with women behind the table. Rodriguez identified himself as the manager of the business to issue identifications. Barrios identified himself as representing the company issuing the IDs that were a translation of the Mexican driver’s license and handed his to Hershman.

“The ID had Mr. Barrios’ photograph and personal information on it and it was labeled as an international driving document,” Hershman reported. “The ID had holographic images and on the back, classifications of driver’s licenses for different types of vehicles.”

In the upper right corner were the words, “Geneva Convention.”

Police talked to customers from Murfreesboro and Springfield who reported they paid or were going to pay $90 for the license, Hershman reported. Officer Mike Daingerfield turned away numerous customers who arrived to get their driver’s licenses.

Womack said the suspects gave the impression the licenses were valid for driving in the U.S.

“There’s no telling how many they sold,” Womack said. “They weren’t forthcoming with too much information.”

The licenses appeared to be authentic, she said, adding a Hispanic male presented one of the documents to her in a traffic stop. Also, a woman from Hungary presented one as her driver’s license to Officer Mike Fowler when he investigated a crash.

Officers seized the equipment used in making the licenses, including a laptop computer, color printer, digital camera, receipt book, 50 blank applications and identifications, 13 completed applications and identifications and $966 cash.

The suspects are scheduled to answer the charges Feb. 26 in General Sessions Court.

Womack passed the information to Detective Ava Radley for follow-up. Federal ICE officers are investigating as well.

Police spokesman Kyle Evans said the officers rounded up advertisements for the operation.

“They were taking advantage of illegal immigrants,” Evans said. “It’s wrong. It’s taking advantage of people.”

Tagged under hispanic, illegal aliens, immigration

Member Opinions:

By: Momma on 1/22/08
Load 'em up and ship 'em out!

By: UnionLady1055 on 1/22/08
Don't forget the ones that bought the ID's

By: Admiral on 1/22/08
We need to find a way to demagnitize the situation so that they don't come here. Load 'em up and ship them home. And where is that damn wall?

By: greasyhands on 1/22/08
The City needs to properly fund the Police Department so the Chief can have the technology and additional Police resources at hand to help round them up and turn them over to the Feds to be deported.

By: stein_jay on 1/23/08
I can understand that this is a pretty bad situation, but you are all being quite ignorant and unkind to a group of people who work hard at jobs we don't want to do. Grow up.

By: rndnrnd on 1/23/08
They'll need to find enough illegals to build the Wall before they can start. BTW, aren't the Chinese experts at building a Wall. Since they make everything else over here could we import Wall sections thru Dollar Tree and have the illegals assemble it from their side of the Wall. BRILLIANT!!!

By: justdance on 1/23/08

stein_jay: I couldn't agree with you more! This group of minorities are human beings just like all of you. It is a situation that needs to be fixed, but there's no need for the negative comments.

By: 4smallbiz on 1/23/08
What happens when they are deported? Do they jump the fence again and end up here next week. We need a way to find out who these criminals are and keep them out of the U.S.A. Before they show up on our door step to do worse crimes.

By: greasyhands on 1/23/08
They are ILLEGALS; they have no rights in this Country. They receive free medical care and don’t pay taxes, but yet commit violent crimes and kill innocent AMERICANS. Ignorant stein jay? Take a look in the mirror.

By: JC on 1/23/08
I can sum it up in one word: ILLEGAL. They broke the law. I have no respect for them. For those who come here legally, I have the utmost respect. Unfortunately, the ones who come here illegally cause a lot of people to look suspiciously at all immigrants. Anyone in the country illegally should be deported.

For those who think it's great, post your address and we will send homeless guys who are addicted to heroin to camp out in your back yard. They are there illegally, but you shouldn't do anything about it because he is doing the work you won't do. That is picking up half eaten burgers out of the trash and dropping needles for your children to play with.

I am tired of the "doing the jobs Americans won't do". That is a load of crap. I can't think of a single job that an illegal is doing that no American will do.

By: tnwolf1762 on 1/25/08
Is anyone else sick of this? I mean these things are happening all over the country not just in TN. The drug cartell have declared war on the US Law Enforcement Groups and even their families. While in Phoenix a couple of years back an illegal who had been convicted of crimes in America and deported several time stole a car and went on a rampage through the City. Wrecking several cther vehicals ans well as car-jacked a couple more. It sounds more like "Domestic Terrorist Attacks". This will continue until the "Whinners" are made to suffer the price for their actions. If they are put to the same punishment as those who they insist on "Helping For Civil Rights Reasons" Make crimes committed by illegal aliens fall under the control of the Homeland Security Act and I bet you'll see a reduction in the numbers of both the illegals and their supporters.