Raids nab 8 charged with obtaining driver’s licenses via false documents

A Milltown man and a Jamesburg woman are among eight people facing charges of creating false-identity documents to obtain driver’s licenses.

An investigation by federal, state, county and local agencies determined that Manuel Pangol of Milltown, Angelica Pinos of Jamesburg and the other six defendants acted individually to obtain driver’s licenses to secure a variety of benefits that are afforded to U.S. citizens, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Each was captured during early-morning raids at their homes in Middlesex County and Trenton, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Acting Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey lauded the agencies that spent hours investigating and tracking the defendants.

“[Those] who obtain false-identification documents often have nefarious intentions to use those documents to commit other serious crimes,” he said.

Andrew McLees, special agent in charge of U.S. Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Newark, said fraudulent documents threaten the security of all citizens by making it easier for suspects to hide from law enforcement while committing a range of offenses.

“This case … halt[ed] a scheme that could have posed a significant threat to national security by providing aliens with false-identity documents,” McLees said.

The wide-ranging investigation began when authorities from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) obtained information allegedly showing the defendants fraudulently acquired driver’s licenses at state MVC offices in East Brunswick, Edison and South Plainfield.

Generally, the defendants forged fake-identity documents, such as birth certificates, and then used them to obtain licenses. Some defendants used false names on the licenses.

The defendants, all of whom are in custody waiting to post bail, are charged with identity fraud, possession of false government documents and uttering forged instruments.

If convicted, each could be sentenced to prison terms of five to 10 years.

Source: gmnews