Jamaican Man Sentenced For Identity Fraud Conspiracy

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron yesterday sentenced Richard Anthony Davis (43, Jamaica) to three years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to obtain fraudulent Florida driver licenses, false claim to U.S. citizenship, and aggravated identity theft. The Court also ordered Davis to forfeit $2,926 in cash, which is traceable to proceeds of the offenses. Davis pleaded guilty to these offenses on April 30, 2014.

According to court documents, Davis conspired with a Customer Service Representative (CSR) at the Osceola County Tax Collector’s Office to issue Florida driver licenses (DL) and identification cards (ID) to over 280 persons based upon fraudulent and fraudulently-obtained U.S. Virgin Islands identity documents. Those documents included genuine birth certificates, social security cards, and fraudulent U.S. Virgin Islands identifications or driver licenses, with corresponding photographs. The CSR, Walter Brown, previously pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to 2 years and a day in prison.

Davis escorted his customers to the Osceola Tax Collector’s Office on days prearranged with Brown. Some of his customers were illegal aliens, previously deported aliens, convicted felons, and others with unknown status. The customers would go directly to Brown’s window with the supporting documentation that Davis gave them for their license application. Brown would then issue the customers Florida DL/IDs. Davis charged his customers $7,500 each and he paid Brown between $300 and $700 per Florida DL/ID.

The Osceola County Tax Collector’s Office reported Brown to law enforcement after internal controls revealed suspicious activity involving his issuance of Florida State Driver Licenses and identification cards. The Tax Collector’s Office cooperated fully in the investigation and Brown was terminated from his employment. Davis is a citizen and national of Jamaica. He last legally entered the United States in 1991, but overstayed his legal residence and never departed the United States.

Beginning in 2000, Davis falsely represented himself to be a United States citizen under five different names.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Myrna A. Mesa and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce S. Ambrose.