Title: Fifty Charged in Identity Fraud Scheme Targeting Puerto Rican Citizens

Announcement of Charges against Fifty Individuals

Washington, D.C. – In a press announcement on January 10, 2012, various law enforcement agencies confirmed the charging of fifty individuals in connection with a vast identity fraud conspiracy in Puerto Rico ¹. The agencies included:

• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
• Department of Justice (DoJ)
• U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)
• U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS)
• Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)

Scheme Overview

The charges emerged from an ongoing, nationally-coordinated investigation led by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division ². The scheme allegedly involved trafficking the identities and corresponding documents of Puerto Rican U.S. citizens to undocumented aliens and other residents in the United States ³.

Extent of the Conspiracy

The conspiracy is said to have operated from April 2009 until December 2011, expanding across the United States and Puerto Rico with suppliers, identity brokers, and mail and money runners participating in the process ³.

Conspiracy Details and Charges

According to the indictment ²:

• Fifty individuals were charged with conspiring to produce, transfer, and utilize false identification documents for unlawful purposes.
• Conspirators operated from 15 states and Puerto Rico, with suppliers primarily based in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
• Identity brokers solicited customers throughout the United States, receiving sets of personal identifying information and documents for payment.
• Payments ranged from $700 to $2,500.
• Text messaging was used to facilitate transactions, with coded terminology used for different age groups or genders.

Use of the Identity Documents

Customers primarily sought the identity documents to assume the identities of Puerto Rican U.S. citizens ² and:

• Acquire additional identification documents
• Commit financial fraud
• In some cases, attempt to obtain a U.S. passport

Law Enforcement Efforts and Results

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Diplomatic Security Service, and IRS-Criminal Investigation have emphasized the importance of addressing identity fraud ². On this day, forty-eight defendants were arrested in various districts throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

Official Statements

Both ICE Director John Morton ⁴ and Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer ⁵ made statements in response to the operation.

Penalties for Convicted Individuals

Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine ², along with forfeiture. The operation, named Operation Island Express, is ongoing and includes searches and seizures.

References