Former MVA Employee Pleads Guilty to Illegally Producing and Transferring Maryland Driver’s Licenses And Identification Cards

Baltimore, Maryland - Tenisha Byrd, age 25, of Edgewood, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to illegally producing and transferring Maryland driver’s licenses and identifications cards, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.

According to her plea agreement, Byrd was an employee at the Glen Burnie branch of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration and her duties included the issuance of Maryland driver’s licenses and Maryland identification cards. From September 2005 through April 2006 Byrd received money and services in return for arranging to illegally produce and transfer multiple Maryland identification cards and Maryland driver’s licenses. Byrd admitted that she contacted prospective MVA identification document applicants by telephone, then met with them at the Glen Burnie branch of the MVA in order to produce and transfer the fraudulent identification cards and driver’s licenses. Byrd admitted that she illegally produced at least 10 fraudulent identification documents, including Maryland Driver’s Licenses for three individuals on January 18 and February 22, 2006, and arranged for another individual to fraudulently obtain a Maryland Commercial Driver’s License on February 10, 2006.

Byrd faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for illegally producing and transferring Maryland driver’s licenses and identification cards. U.S. District Judge William M. Nickerson scheduled sentencing for May 5, 2009 at 10:00 a.m.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration - Investigation and Security Services Division for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Kwame J. Manley, who are prosecuting the case.