Camden, N.J., Man Arrested, Charged With Making Fake Green Cards

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden man is charged in a scheme to produce and sell fake government documents after federal agents broke up his alleged fraudulent operation, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced today.

Domingo Luna, 33, aka “Morro,” of Camden, N.J., was arrested by special agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) on Dec. 12, 2013. A Mexican citizen not legally in the United States, he has been held in ICE administrative custody since that time. Luna was charged federally late yesterday in a criminal complaint with one count of making fake identification documents and one count of producing counterfeit permanent resident, or “green” cards.

Luna appeared this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel Schneider in Camden federal court and was detained.

According to the criminal complaint and statements made in court:

Federal law enforcement officers learned that a man nicknamed “Morro” was producing and selling false and fraudulent U.S. Social Security cards, permanent residence cards and driver’s licenses from a location in Camden. From early to mid-December 2013, “Morro,” who was later identified as Luna, sold an undercover law enforcement officer two fake social security cards, a fraudulent permanent residence card and a Pennsylvania driver’s license. Luna took pictures of the officer with a digital camera and produced the documents at the Camden address. 

On Dec. 12, 2013, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Luna’s residence, where they found evidence of a sophisticated fraudulent document-making operation, including computer equipment, a digital camera, a laminating machine and at least 25 fake cards.

The charges of producing a false identification card and green card carry a maximum potential penalty of 15 years and 10 years in prison, respectively. Each charge also carries a maximum $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of ICE HSI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Andrew M. McLees, and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Newark, N.J., Field Office Director John Tsoukaris, with the investigation leading to today’s arrests.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.

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Defense counsel: Assistant Federal Public Defender Tom Young Esq., Camden