FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	August 9, 2012
Docket #: 2:12-cr-291-WBS

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Brothers Sergio Alonso Madrigal-Felix, 32, of Redding, and Mario Alfonso Madrigal-Felix, 36, of Anderson, were charged today by a federal grand jury with producing and selling false identification documents and possessing document making implements.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Special Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hales and Assistant United States Attorney Michele M. Beckwith are prosecuting the case.

“Targeting schemes like this that enable individuals who aren’t in this country lawfully to obtain legitimate U.S. identity documents is a top enforcement priority for ICE HSI,” said Jason Graham, resident agent in charge for ICE HSI in Redding. “Those who engage in this type of fraud are putting the security of our communities and even our country at risk. Schemes like this could potentially be exploited by dangerous criminals and others seeking to obscure their identities and mask their motives.”

According to court documents, the brothers sold counterfeit document sets for $150 each that included an alien registration card or “green card” and a Social Security card with a false number. An undercover agent purchased three sets on March 22, 2012 for three fictitious people. Four more sets were purchased from the defendants on two other occasions. A search warrant was issued and agents seized document-making equipment, including a laptop, printer, and laminator.

The defendants have been in custody since their arrest and initial court appearance on July 27, 2012. They are scheduled to be arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edmund F. Brennan on Friday, August 10, 2012. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. The actual sentence, if convicted, 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.

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