KC Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Sell False ID Documents to Illegal Aliens

 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a Kansas City, Mo., man has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in a conspiracy that produced and sold thousands of false identification documents to illegal aliens.

Luis Daniel Cabrera-Guzman, also known as “Driver,” 30, a citizen of Mexico residing in Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, to his role in the conspiracy to provide false identification documents.

Cabrera-Guzman admitted that he participated in a conspiracy with Cesar Mujica-Aranda, also known as “Oscar Gomez,” 25, a citizen of Mexico residing in Liberty, Bernardino Bautista-Hernandez, 32, also known as “Brujo,” a citizen of Mexico residing in Kansas City, Mo., and others from Sept. 1, 2013, to Feb. 21, 2014, to produce and distribute thousands of false and counterfeit identification documents that were sold to aliens unlawfully residing and working within the United States.

Both Mujica-Aranda and Bautista-Hernandez pleaded guilty in September 2014 to their roles in the conspiracy in a separate but related case.

Mujica-Aranda admitted that he managed the production of counterfeit identification documents at his Liberty apartment. He managed the production of the false identification documents and sold the documents to numerous street level dealers, such as Bautista-Hernandez and Cabrera-Guzman. Mujica-Aranda produced fraudulent Lawful Permanent Resident cards, counterfeit Social Security cards, and false driver’s licenses from various states within the United States as well as Mexican states. Conspirators produced and sold thousands of false identification documents to illegal aliens so that the illegal aliens could stay and work within the United States.

Cabrera-Guzman admitted that he was one of the street-level dealers who illegally sold counterfeit identification documents. The street dealers would typically pay approximately $50 for each counterfeit identification document and they would keep any excess proceeds they were able to obtain from the sale of the counterfeit documents. Cabrera-Guzman sold sets of fraudulent Lawful Permanent Resident cards and counterfeit Social Security cards for approximately $100 per document set. (The newer versions of the Lawful Permanent Resident cards sold for more money.) Cabrera-Guzman sold false driver’s licenses from various states within the United States as well as Mexican states for about $100 each. He also sold false Mexican consular identification cards for approximately $100 each and fake Kansas City, Mo., liquor licenses for approximately $100.

On Jan. 30, 2014, Mujica-Aranda threw away a white plastic bag containing shredded pieces of fraudulent identity documents in a trash can at a gas station at St. John Avenue and Belmont in Kansas City, Mo. Early the next morning, a federal agent located the bag in the trash can. The bag contained shredded pieces of fraudulent identification documents, and weighed approximately two pounds. Each piece was approximately the size of a small paper clip, and the shredded pieces were immediately recognizable as fraudulent Lawful Permanent Resident cards, Social Security cards, Missouri non-driver’s licenses and Kansas identification cards. The agent also discovered two reels of depleted color card printer ribbon within the shredded pieces. One reel had images of fraudulent Lawful Permanent Resident cards.

Under the terms of their plea agreements, the defendants must each pay a money judgment for the total amount of money that was obtained by this criminal enterprise. The Department of Homeland Security is still evaluating ink ribbons that were seized as part of the investigation and has already identified thousands of identification documents that were produced by the conspiracy. By the time of sentencing, the government may have a better estimate on how many identification documents it can establish were produced by the conspiracy. The court may elect to multiply this number by how much the conspiracy was selling the false documents to aliens.

Cabrera-Guzman must also forfeit to the government $9,376 that was seized by law enforcement officers at the time of his arrest, and which was obtained as the proceeds of his criminal conduct.

Mujica-Aranda must also forfeit to the government all of the equipment that was used to produce fraudulent identification documents, including three computers, a computer hard drive, printers, four cameras, six cell phones, electronic storage devices and other miscellaneous equipment and supplies, and $1,840.

Under federal statutes, Cabrera-Guzman, Mujica-Aranda and Bautista-Hernandez are each subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

These cases are being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. They were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, the Kansas Department of Revenue – Office of Special Investigations, the Missouri Department of Revenue – Compliance Investigation Bureau and the Clay County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.