FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
SEPTEMBER 26, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RIVERDALE MAN SENTENCED FOR CONSPIRACY TO OBTAIN AND SELL MARYLAND DRIVER’S LICENSES TO ILLEGAL ALIENS
Sold up to 100 Maryland Driver’s Licenses
Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Roger W. Titus sentenced Hector David Elvir-Hernandez, age 28, of Riverdale, Maryland today to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiracy to produce and sell unlawfully produced Maryland driver’s licenses issued by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA), announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Elvir-Hernandez was the sixth defendant in this case to plead guilty. Judge Titus also ordered that Elvir-Hernandez pay a $5,000 fine.
According to the plea agreement, Elvir-Hernandez met with prospective driver’s license applicants during 2006 who were willing to pay money to obtain a driver’s license illegally. Many of the applicants were illegal aliens seeking government identification documents.
Applicants paid Elvir-Hernandez and other conspirators up to $3,800 for each fraudulently issued Maryland driver’s license. Elvir-Hernandez and other conspirators arranged for the applicants to travel to the Beltsville branch of the MVA and directed the applicants to the workstation of Candace Nicole Green, who fraudulently issued genuine Maryland driver’s licenses to the applicants. Ana Maria Lorena Creque paid Green approximately $1,300 for each unlawfully produced license. Elvir-Hernandez admitted that he was responsible for the illegal issuance of up to 100 Maryland driver’s licenses.
Green, age 35, of Landover, Maryland; Dennys Tome-Henriquez, age 28, and Henry Geovanni Romero-Nunez, age 29, both of New Brunswick, New Jersey; Creque, age 46, of Adelphi, Maryland; and Julio Ferman Miguel-Lopez, age 34, of Hyattsville, Maryland previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce and sell unlawfully produced Maryland driver’s licenses. Tome-Henriquez was sentenced to 16 months in prison on February 27, 2007; Romero-Nunez was sentenced to 17 months on July 12, 2007; and Miguel-Lopez was sentenced to 15 months on July 17, 2007. Green and Creque are scheduled to be sentenced on November 5, 2007.
In a similar case, former Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) employee James Edwin Harrell, age 51, of Beltsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty yesterday to producing and transferring unlawfully produced identification documents, specifically Maryland Identification Cards issued by the MVA.
According to the plea agreement, Harrell worked at the Beltsville Branch of the MVA where he issued driver’s licenses and photo identification cards. From May 2004 to February 2005, Harrell used his position at MVA to meet with applicants who wanted to obtain Maryland Identification Cards, learner’s permits or driver’s licenses, but did not have the necessary documentation to legally obtain such identity documents. Harrell assisted these applicants in obtaining unlawfully produced identity documents.
Harrell faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte has scheduled sentencing for January 7, 2008.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the Internal Investigations Section of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration Investigation and Security Services Division, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, for their investigative work. These cases originated with information provided by the MVA. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Dunne, who prosecuted Elvir-Hernandez and Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Gruber, who is prosecuting Harrell.