Massive fraudulent document manufacturing rings raided in Los Angeles

U.S. federal and local law enforcement officers on Thursday raided multiple fraudulent document manufacturing rings operating in Los Angeles with connections to other U.S. states and Mexico. The false documents generated by the rings included United States Permanent Resident cards (green cards), Social Security cards, Mexican Consular Identification cards and driver's licenses. Over two dozens of offenders, including ringleaders and co-conspirators who supplied document-making materials to others across United States have been arrested, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced. More than 300 law enforcement officers from federal and local agencies executed dozens of arrest and search warrants Thursday morning relative to a multiple fraudulent document rings operating in Los Angeles and Riverside Counties, Northern California, Illinois and Texas, with connections to other states and Mexico. The document fraud rings supported a variety of criminal activity, announced Steven Martinez, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI in Los Angeles, and Andre Birotte Jr., the United States Attorney in Los Angeles. The announcement was made on behalf of multiple departments whose investigators worked on the case, including the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as agencies in Illinois, Texas and elsewhere in California. In two separate, but related operations, federal grand juries returned a series of indictments filed under seal charging several individuals with violations including possession of document-making implements, trafficking in false authentication features, using a fictitious name or address, fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents, conspiracy and illegal alien found in the United States following deportation. According to the indictments filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles and unsealed Thursday, investigators have identified several false document manufacturing networks in the MacArthur Park section of Los Angeles and elsewhere. One of the main targets of the investigation is Alejandro Morales Serrano, who allegedly manufactures raw materials that are then used to manufacture false documents on a large scale from California and other states, including Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Illinois, and Michigan. The indictment alleges the Serrano and other co-conspirators support the manufacture of false driver's licenses for approximately 40 of the 50 states and within Mexico. The investigation of Serrano identified additional subjects who were being investigated by other departments, including the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff' s Department and the Long Beach Police Department, among others, according to FBI. Serrano and his co-conspirators allegedly supplied other manufacturers of false documents with hundreds of document-making implements, including sheets of plastic laminates bearing false authentication features. These features replicate legitimate ones used by the United States and Mexican governments to limit fraud. The investigation revealed that the plastic laminates, and other document-making implements supplied by Serrano and others over several years have been used to manufacture thousands of false documents. The indictment alleges that Serrano has been intercepted on a wiretap discussing the fact that he has been engaged in the false document business for more than a decade. In the related case worked jointly by the FBI and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, several individuals operating in the El Monte area were identified in a conspiracy to manufacture false documents with materials supplied by Serrano and other co-conspirators organization, including high quality laminates. Evidence developed during the investigation revealed that the fraudulent documents were utilized by illegal aliens to gain employment, as well as other citizenship and residency related benefits. In addition, the operation supported a variety of criminal activity, in that the false documents were instrumental in the commission of credit and bank fraud, tax fraud, identity theft and pharmaceutical diversion schemes. The indictments allege that the Serrano false document manufacturing ring produced raw materials for the manufacture of thousands of documents per month that were distributed in California and across the United States. Seventeen federal search warrants are being executed as part of Thursday's operation to seek evidence related to the manufacture of false documents. Several individuals arrested are not legal residents of the United States and have been previously deported. These individuals may face additional immigration related charges, according to FBI. If convicted, the defendants face statutory maximum sentences ranging from 15 years on the fraudulent document charges.