FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACTAUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885

JUNE 8, 2007

BELTSVILLE MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY TO OBTAIN AND SELL MARYLAND DRIVER’S LICENSES TO ILLEGAL ALIENS

Sold up to 100 Maryland Driver’s Licenses

Greenbelt, Maryland - Hector David Elvir-Hernandez, age 28, of Beltsville, Maryland pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to produce and transfer 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 is the sixth defendant in this case to plead guilty.

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.

Elvir-Hernandez faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. U.S. District Roger W. Titus scheduled sentencing for September 7, 2007 at 9:00 a.m.

Green, age 35, of Landover, Maryland; Dennys Tome-Henriquez and Henry Geovanni Romero-Nunez, both age 28 and of New Brunswick, New Jersey; Creque, age 45, 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. Each of the remaining defendants faces a maximum sentence of 15 years. Green is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, Romero-Nunez on July 12, Creque on July 16, 2007 and Miguel-Lopez on July 17.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the investigative work performed by the Internal Investigations Section of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration Investigation and Security Services Division, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the United States Attorney’s Office. The case originated with information provided by the MVA. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Dunne, who is prosecuting the case.