18 November 2004 – LAWFUEL – Criminal law, legal, attorney news – Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; and Jesus Torres, Special Agent in Charge, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, announced today the return of separate Indictments against defendants, Alex Lopez, Ever Geovanny Gonzales-Matamoros, and Helbert Herrera, on charges of fraud and misuse of employment and immigration documents, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1546(a).
Lopez, also known as Esdras Olivier de Leon Majia and Belisario Ajanel Cruz, was indicted on nineteen (19) counts of forging Resident Alien cards and Social Security cards, and one (1) count of possessing blank Social Security cards and Resident Alien cards. According to the criminal complaint filed in conjunction with the arrest of Lopez, ICE agents searched Lopez’s home and found blank sheets of Resident Alien cards, blank sheets of Social Security cards, several counterfeited, completed Social Security cards, numerous remnants of photographs where the head and torso had been cut out, an ink pad for creating thumb prints for the counterfeit Resident Alien cards, a typewriter, and a lamination machine.
ICE agents learned of Lopez’s operation during the course of surveillance on Gonzalez-Matamoros, whom ICE agents apprehend when Gonzalez-Matamoros sold eight (8) counterfeit documents to undercover agents posing as illegal immigrants. Gonzalez-Matamoros is indicted on four (4) counts of causing Resident Alien cards and Social Security cards to be counterfeited and of possessing such documents. Also as a result of the ICE operation, Herrera is charged in a separate Indictment with two (2) counts of causing Resident Alien cards and Social Security cards to be counterfeited and of possessing such documents.
If convicted, Lopez, Gonzalez-Matamoros, and Herrera each face a maximum statutory sentence of ten (10) years’ imprisonment on each count and a fine of up to $250,000.
Mr. Jiménez commended the investigative efforts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robin S. Rosenbaum.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls