Guatemalan Nationals Indicted for Immigration and Document Fraud

A federal grand jury indicted two Guatemalan nationals Wednesday, August 15, 2012, for conspiring to provide false identity documents so more than 100 illegal aliens could fraudulently obtain driver's and non-driver's licenses from the Department of Revenue license office in St. Joseph, Mo. These indictments resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Domingo Ajanel-Castro, 33, a Guatemalan national residing in St. Joseph, Mo., and Pedro Pablo-Solis, 28, a Guatemalan national residing in Liberal, Kan., were charged in an 18-count superseding indictment returned Aug. 15 by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo.

This indictment replaces an earlier indictment that charged only Ajanel-Castro.

The indictment alleges that Ajanel-Castro and Pablo-Solis, both illegal aliens from Guatemala, participated in a conspiracy from July 1, 2010 to Jan. 10, 2012 to sell fraudulent birth certificates and Social Security cards in the names of others. The indictment alleges that illegal aliens traveled to St. Joseph, Mo., from across the United States to obtain either a Missouri driver's license or non-driver's license by using unlawfully obtained birth certificates and Social Security cards. The illegal aliens then used the state licenses to remain unlawfully in the United States, to unlawfully obtain employment, or for other unlawful purposes.

It is estimated that more than 100 Missouri licenses have been unlawfully issued to illegal aliens as part of this conspiracy.

Ajanel-Castro allegedly received identification document sets from Pablo-Solis, who obtained and sold state-issued birth certificates and corresponding Social Security cards in matching document sets. Ajanel-Castro then sold the document sets to the illegal aliens, the indictment states, for between $500 and $950 for the document sets and the licenses.

The illegal aliens were then charged an additional fee of about $100 to be escorted to the license office in St. Joseph. Individuals accompanied illegal aliens into the St. Joseph license office under the guise of being translators, the indictment says, to assist them with obtaining Missouri licenses in the name of another person.

These individuals assisted illegal aliens prepare for potential questions from the license office employees, such as information on the birth certificates and the Social Security numbers. They also assisted with having them practice signing the name so that the signatures would be similar. The individuals also provided Missouri residential addresses to the illegal aliens who did not live in Missouri, the indictment says.

In addition to the conspiracy, Ajanel-Castro and Pablo-Solis are charged together in three counts of aggravated identity theft, three counts of Social Security fraud, and two counts of illegally transferring a person's identity documents to another person.

Ajanel-Castro is also charged with four more counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of illegally producing identification documents, one count of possessing false documents, one count of making a false statement on a federal document, and one count of illegally re-entering the United States after having been deported.

The public is reminded that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford, Western District of Missouri, is prosecuting the case.

Fraudulent Driver License in Atlanta - Former Atlanta driver's license examiner and co-conspirator sentenced for selling Georgia driver's licenses

July 29, 2010

More than 40 fraudulent licenses were issued in Marietta

ATLANTA - Gbemisola Wellington-Salako, 36, of Marietta, Ga., and Jules Armand Che Siewe Achou, 33, of Atlanta, were sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Orinda D. Evans for conspiring to issue Georgia driver's licenses to people who did not qualify for them, but who were willing to pay up to $2,500 per license, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other law enforcement agencies.
Wellington-Salako, a former driver's license examiner, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and Siewe Achou was sentenced to13 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. A citizen of Cameroon, Siewe Achou will face deportation proceedings after he serves his sentence.
Both pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiring to produce and distribute false identification documents.
"People like Wellington-Salako, who are willing to violate the public's trust for money, could potentially be impacting the national security of our country by giving legitimate documents to those who aren't entitled to them," said Brock Nicholson, acting special agent in charge of the ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Office in Atlanta. "These acts will not go unpunished."
According to court records, Wellington-Salako was a driver's license examiner in the Department of Driver Services (DDS) Customer Service Center on County Services Parkway in Marietta in June 2007 when she agreed to work with Siewe Achou to provide driver's licenses to people who did not qualify for them, but who would pay up to $2,500 for a license.
Siewe Achou would find customers and send them to Wellington-Salako, who would then issue them licenses without any tests or proof of legal residency in Georgia. Siewe Achou later shared the money that had been collected from their customers with Wellington-Salako. Eventually, Siewe Achou recruited other men to help him find customers for the conspiracy. Between June 2007 and September 2009, the conspirators caused the DDS to issue up to 40 fraudulent driver's licenses.
Three other individuals, Nambaladja Souleymane Fofana, 29, of Atlanta; Mohamed Cellou Bamba, 34, of Atlanta; and Omar Sheriff Manjang, 45, of Lawrenceville, Ga., were also charged in the conspiracy. They each pleaded guilty to assisting Siewe Achou in finding customers for the conspiracy. Fofana and Bamba were sentenced to prison for eight months, with deportation proceedings to follow. Manjang was sentenced to one year of probation.
This case was investigated by special agents of ICE Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs, the Georgia DDS, and an investigator from the DeKalb County Police Department.
"The successful investigation and subsequent prosecution of these defendants are yet another example of what can be accomplished when local, state, and federal agencies work together to identify and arrest those involved in criminal activity and subversive actions against our state and nation," said Director Vernon Keenan of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. "The hard work and dedication of the U. S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the U. S. Department of Homeland Security personnel, and GBI agents involved in this case are commendable."
"DDS is committed to combating driver license fraud and identity theft as demonstrated in the proactive work of the DDS Investigative Services team," said DDS Commissioner Gregory C. Dozier. "This case is a perfect example of how a multi-agency task force can unite to combat illegal immigration and identity theft and support homeland security."
Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Traynor prosecuted the case.

Visa Fraud Scheme in US Embassy in Kiev Ukraine

For Immediate Release
October 29, 2009 FBI Cleveland
Contact: Special Agent Scott Wilson
(216) 622-6611

Members of International Criminal Organization Arrested

C. Frank Figliuzzi, Special Agent in Charge of the Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), for the Northern District of Ohio, announces the arrests of Pavlo Mostranskyy, age 45, Ukrainian National from Cleveland, Ohio; Sonya Hilaszek, age 45, of Cleveland, Ohio; and Vitaly Fedorchuk, age 40, of Cleveland, Ohio on October 29, 2009.

Mostranskyy, Hilaszek, and Fedorchuk have been charged with a Federal Conspiracy to Commit Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Identification Documents and Information. Mostranskyy, Hilaszek, and Fodorchuk were charged and arrested after a lengthy investigation conducted by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Department of Public Safety-BMV Investigations Section, Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigative Division, Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General, and the Cleveland Office of the FBI.

Also charged in connection with this investigation are Johongir Masudov, age 27, Uzbekistan National from Cincinnati, Ohio; Azamjon Asodov, age 43, Uzbekistan National from Cincinnati, Ohio; Valentina Denisova, age 30, Russian National from Cincinnati, Ohio; Artak Serobyan, age 25, Armenian National from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Petro Vytvytskyy, age 45, Russian National from Newark, New Jersey; Galina Dobrova – Volochiy, age 49, Ukrainian National from Newark, New Jersey; Dmytro Karabinovych, age 47, of Newark, New Jersey; Ivan Volochiy, age 40, Ukrainian National from Newark, New Jersey; Roman Matveev, age 32, Russian National from Newark, New Jersey; Vasyl Yatskiv, age 30, Russian or Ukrainian National from Chicago, Illinois; Michael Slepyan, age 41, Israeli National from Chicago, Illinois; Hennadiy Vaskevych, age 43, of Chicago, Illinois; Bohdan Borsuk, age 48, Polish National of Chicago, Illinois; Zdzislaw Kowalczyk, age 52, of Chicago, Illinois; and Martynas Bojarcius, age 29, of Chicago, Illinois.

This investigation started in December of 2007 when information was received that individuals in the Cleveland Ukrainian community were involved in a scheme to bring foreign nationals to Cleveland, Ohio and help them fraudulently obtain real Ohio driver’s licenses for a fee, issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) by a Deputy Registrar working for this criminal organization. The investigation focused on Vitaly Fedorchuk who was identified as the leader of the criminal organization; Sonya Hilaszek, a corrupt employee at the Deputy Registrars Office in Parma, Ohio; and Pavlo Mostranskyy, who acted as a middle-man bringing the foreign nationals to Cleveland. Other members of the organization were based in several cities throughout the United States and worked with and for Fedorchuk and Mostranskyy to identify and facilitate customers through the operation.

An undercover FBI agent was able to fraudulently obtain a real Ohio Driver’s License in August of 2008 for $3000 from this criminal organization. The investigation showed that this criminal organization operated for at least four years, charging foreign nationals, most of whom are unlawfully present, between $1,500 and $3,000 for Ohio driver’s licenses, and Ohio state identification cards using either fraudulent documentation or none at all.

During the course of the US-based investigation, the investigators here in Cleveland discovered evidence that the criminal group in Ohio were working with criminal counterparts in Ukraine. Together, they fraudulently obtained United States non-immigrant visas for Ukrainian nationals who then traveled to Ohio and other points in the United States. The visas were obtained from the United States Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, allegedly through corrupt Ukrainian national employees of the US Embassy. The investigative team from Cleveland, the FBI’s Legal Attaché’s Office in Kyiv, and Diplomatic Security Service Special Agents assigned to the US Embassy in Ukraine investigated the Ukrainian criminal group jointly with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Organized Crime Department over the course of many months. The criminal group allegedly charged each visa applicant $12,000.00. As a result of the joint international investigation, seven members of the Ukraine-based criminal organization, including two Embassy employees, were officially detained today in Ukraine by investigators of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs for violation of Ukrainian laws.

Fedorchuk, Hilaszek, and Mostranskyy will appear today in United States District Court for their initial appearance on these charges.

Connecticut Illegal Driver's License Provider Arrested

Department of Public Safety
2008

Connecticut State Police Patch STATE OF CONNECTICUT
Department of Public Safety
1111 Country Club Road
Middletown, Connecticut 06457
Contact:
860-685-8230
pio.dps@po.state.ct.us
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 20, 2008


STATE POLICE ARREST

DRIVING SCHOOL OWNER FOR FORGERY



On 03/20/2008 at 9:00 a.m. Henry KRUSZEWSKI, the owner and operator of the Express Driving School in Stratford surrendered to State Police at Troop- G in Bridgeport. This arrest stems from an extensive State Police criminal Investigation that began in January of 2005 based on complaints that Express Driving School of Stratford was fraudulently obtaining Licenses from DMV for illegal Aliens.

In October of 2007, DMV while inspecting the License Applications of Students from the Express Driving School discovered what appeared to be possible counterfeit documents that would enable immigrants to obtain drivers licenses. This information was forwarded to State Police Detectives for criminal investigation.

State Police Detectives, assisted by the Motor Vehicle Review Unit and the Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department (ICE) conducted an extensive examination of hundreds of documents that were submitted by the Express Driving School and used to obtain drivers licenses.

The investigation revealed that there were a large number of drivers licenses issued to subjects using forged or counterfeit documents. Forms examined included documents denoting immigration status, student visa status, Social Security and school employment letters. State Police Detectives determined that the Driving School had submitted these forged documents to the DMV enabling illegal immigrants to obtain Connecticut drivers Licenses.

The investigation also revealed that Express Driving School was having immigrants complete all of the DMV required training and testing to obtain Connecticut Drivers licenses. However, it was also determined that the Driving School then submitted forged documents to the DMV stating that the Driving School Students were students of actual Colleges who have had their immigration status’s changed from Visitor Visa’s to Student Visa’s, thus allowing them to be eligible to obtain Connecticut Drivers Licenses.

Based on facts and circumstances developed by State Police investigators in this case with assist from MVD and ICE Search and Seizure Warrants were obtained for the Express Driving School 3272 Main St Stratford, Ct. and the Residence of the owner/operator, Henry Kruszewski 59-B East Broadway Milford, Ct. The warrants were executed on 01/24/2008. During the search hundreds of counterfeit and forged documents were seized.

State Police Detectives after complete examination of all evidence and interviewing numerous witnesses in this case submitted an arrest warrant application to Superior Court GA #2 for the arrest of the accused KRUSZEWSKI. The court issued the warrant and the accused voluntarily surrendered this morning.



This arrest was a cooperative multi agency investigative effort by State Police, Dept of Motor Vehicles and ICE.



ICE will pursue the case on a Federal Level when the CSP investigation is completed.



ARRESTED: Henry KRUSZEWSKI Age: 57

59B East Broadway, Milford, CT.

CHARGES: CORA (Corrupt Organization & Racketeering Activity) (1 Count)

Forgery 2nd Degree (50 Counts)

COURT: 03/20/2008 – GA#2 Bridgeport

BOND: $500,000.00

The accused was released from custody after posting $500,000 bond and he will appear in Superior Court on April 3rd GA #2 Bridgeport.



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Lt. J. Paul Vance