09-29-2003 -- Asencio, Rebecca and Rivera, Elizabeth -- Arrests -- News Release

Two Social Security Adminstration Employees Accused of Selling False Identification Cards

TRENTON - Two employees of the U.S. Social Security Administration Office in Trenton were arrested today on charges that they illegally sold social security cards to ineligible individuals, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

Rebecca Rivera Asencio, 32, of Trenton, allegedly possessed with the intent to illegally transfer more than five false identification documents, namely social security cards. According to the Criminal Complaint, Asencio has been employed as a development clerk with the Social Security Administration (SSA) since April 2000. The defendant's job responsibilities included filling in for customer service representatives (CSR); however, as such, she was permitted to only process applications for replacement social security cards, not original applications.

According to the Complaint, an applicant seeking an original social security card is required to complete SSA Form SS-5 and present documents to the SSA customer service representative to establish U.S. citizenship or legal alien status. The CSR processing the application is required to note the document(s) that were submitted to establish the applicant's eligibility for the card. In the case of non-citizens, the CSR is required to confirm through the Bureau of Citizen and Immigration Services (BICE) that the applicant is a legal alien. If an application is successfully processed, the Social Security card is generated by and sent from a central SSA location in Maryland to the card applicant.

The Complaint alleges that an investigation by SSA investigators found that from January 2002 through February 2003, Asencio processed approximately 25 original social security card applications for individuals who, according to BICE records, were neither U.S. citizens nor legal aliens. Furthermore, the Complaint alleges that a review of the applications revealed that the defendant signed, initialed and dated each SS-5 application. The Complaint also states that the alien numbers located on the applications for these individuals, as well as the corresponding BICE authorization codes, were invalid. Furthermore, the Complaint states that the United States Passport numbers were not valid for the individuals named on the Social Security card applications processed by Asencio.

According to the Complaint, a cooperating witness (CW) stated that he/she was an alien who had heard in the neighborhood that a man named "Julio" was getting real Social Security cards for illegal aliens. Furthermore, the CW stated that in November 2002 he/she met Julio at the Trenton train station, paid him $300 cash, signed a Social Security application, and traveled with Julio to the Trenton SSA office. According to the Complaint, the CW stated that he/she waited outside while Julio went into the SSA Office for about an hour, then came back and told the CW to expect a card in a few weeks. The CW further stated that in January 2003 he/she met Julio at the Trenton train station and received a genuine Social Security card. Finally, according to the Complaint, CW stated that he/she never filled out any Form SS-5 and never entered the SSA Office. A review of the SS-5 Form filed for CW allegedly revealed that Asencio processed, signed and dated the application in December 2002.

According to the Complaint, a second cooperating witness (CW-2) told of a similar scenario. The complaint states that CW-2 stated that he/she was an illegal alien who heard in the neighborhood that "Jorge" could get good Social Security cards. Furthermore, CW-2 stated that in August 2002, he/she and another illegal alien met Jorge in Trenton. Jorge wrote down their identifying information, charged them each $150 cash, and told them that the cards would take a few weeks. CW-2 further stated that in Oct. 2002 he/she allegedly received a genuine social security card from Jorge. Furthermore, according to the Complaint, CW-2 stated that he/she never filled out or signed any Form SS-5 and never went inside any SSA office. The SS-5 Form filed for CW-2 had been processed, signed and dated the by the defendant.

In a separate Complaint, Elizabeth Rivera, 35, of Camden, is charged with conspiring with others to possess with intent to illegally transfer more than five false identification documents, namely social security cards. The Compliant alleges that in December 2002, a cooperating witness, who was an illegal alien, paid another unidentified individual $1,500 for the purpose of getting a genuine Social Security card. According to the Complaint, in January 2003, Rivera, while employed at the SSA office in Trenton, processed, signed and dated a Social Security application which contained the identifying information of cooperating witness and caused a genuine Social Security card to be subsequently generated in Maryland and sent to the address of the cooperating witness.

The charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until convicted of a crime.

Christie credited Special Agents with IRS Criminal Investigations and the Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration.

The Government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norville McAndrew of the Criminal Division in Trenton.

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