FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	CONTACT: Lauren Horwood
August 23, 2011	PHONE: (916) 554-2706
www.usdoj.gov/usao/cae	usacae.edcapress@usdoj.gov
Docket #: 1:11-cr-274-LJO; 1:11-cr-275-AWI

FRESNO, Calif. — United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that a federal grand jury on August 18, 2011, returned two indictments charging a total of 15 defendants who were involved in a scheme selling official California driver's licenses to ineligible individuals. The indictments were unsealed today following the arrest of 11 of the defendants.

The first indictment charges a former DMV employee and 12 others with 34 counts of criminal conspiracy, unlawful production of identification documents, and unlawful transfer of identification documents. Charged are former DMV Senior Motor Vehicle Technician Alfonso Casarez, 49, of Fresno; Rosemary Fierros, 46, of Madera; Victor Vasquez, 34, of Madera; Angel Ociris Gutierrez, 26, of Salinas; Alcides Urias, 33, of Calexico; Dimas Dominguez Martinez, 38, of Madera; Jesus Dominguez Martinez, 39, of Madera; Luis Alberto Moreno Delgado, 31, of Riverdale; Armando Treyes Andrade, 48, of Chowchilla; Armando Solorio Heredia, 32, of Riverdale; Jose Manuel Garcia, 43, of Kerman; Armando Maravilla, 39, of Madera; and Cassandra Casarez Fierros, 19, of Madera. Cassandra Casarez Fierros was also charged with making false statements to a federal law enforcement agent.

According to the 34-count indictment, in return for payment, Alfonso Casarez electronically altered DMV records to reflect that applicants for "Class C" or "Class A" commercial driver's licenses had passed required written and behind-the-wheel tests when in fact they had not passed those tests. Based on the information that Casarez entered into the DMV records, the DMV issued official California driver's licenses to the applicants.

Casarez's sister Rosemary Fierros allegedly passed information and money from the applicants to her brother for the licenses. Victor Vasquez allegedly recruited individuals to apply for the fraudulently issued driver's licenses. Gutierrez, Urias, Dimas Martinez, Jesus Martinez, Delgado, Andrade, Heredia, Garcia, and Maravilla acted as recruiters of potential recipients and worked with Victor Vasquez to get fraudulent licenses issued.

In the second indictment, Alfonso Casarez is charged along with Manjit Singh, 46, of India, and Yadwinder Singh, 46, of Fresno, with 15 counts of criminal conspiracy, unlawful production of identification documents, and unlawful transfer of identification documents.

According to the second indictment, Alfonso Casarez conspired to alter electronic DMV records to circumvent required DMV written and behind-the-wheel tests in order to issue basic "Class C" or "Class A" commercial driver's licenses to recipients for a fee. Manjit Singh allegedly passed the recipients' information and money to Casarez to get the licenses issued, and Yadwinder Singh acted as a primary recruiter.

U.S. Attorney Wagner said: "The allegations in these indictments describe a corrupt scheme that led to the issuance of licenses to persons who may not have been qualified under California law. Such schemes can put dangerous drivers on the road and endanger the public. I commend the investigators with DMV and with Homeland Security Investigations for exposing and investigating this activity."

"The serious threat posed by those who illegally purchased their driver's licenses is equally as criminal as the unlawful selling of these documents," said George Valverde, Director of the Department of Motor Vehicles. "We applaud the joint efforts of DMV's Investigations and Internal Affairs offices, who worked collaboratively with the U.S. Attorney's Office and ICE Homeland Security Investigations in this prosecution."

"Given the potential security and safety implications, targeting organizations that enable individuals to fraudulently obtain legitimate U.S. identity documents is a top enforcement priority for ICE Homeland Security Investigations," said Clark Settles, special agent in charge for the ICE HSI in northern California. "Those concerns were particularly acute in this case, where our investigation revealed some of the documents allegedly being sold by these defendants included commercial driver's licenses used by individuals responsible for hauling hazardous materials. We will move aggressively against those who corrupt the system and put the public at risk in an effort to satisfy their own greed."

All defendants in the two indictments, with the exception of Angel Ociris Gutierrez, Alcides Urias, Jesus Dominguez Martinez and Manjit Singh, were arraigned at 1:30 p.m. today before United States Magistrate Judge Dennis L. Beck in Fresno and have pleaded not guilty.

These cases are the product of an extensive, joint investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the California Department of Motor Vehicles Investigations office and the DMV Internal Affairs office. Assistant United States Attorneys Henry Z. Carbajal III and Grant B. Rabenn are prosecuting the cases.

The maximum statutory penalty for criminal conspiracy and making false statements to federal law enforcement agents is five years in prison. The maximum statutory penalty for unlawful production of identification documents and unlawful transfer of identification documents is 15 years in prison. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The charges are only allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

####

 

Return to Top