New York Motor Vehicle Department Caught Selling Fake ID´s

Over 40 members of staff working for the motor vehicle section in New York USA have been arrested and charged with selling over 700 fake ID cards including fake driving licenses to illegal immigrants. The investigation went on for over 18 months after staff suspected an in-house organised crime ring. They included state workers and over 57 people were charged with manufacturing, trafficking and selling fake registration documents, fake driving licenses and fake provisional licenses which all have relations to the motor vehicle department.

The arrest of these criminals is thought to be one of the largest amounts of civil servants to be charged with corruption. The police investigation included local police officers, officials from the motor vehicle department and officials from US attorney offices. Together they descended on four branches of the motor vehicle departments, two of which were in Manhattan, one in Brooklyn and one in the Bronx. They also visited some of the suspect’s homes.

The investigation uncovered a huge ring of organised crime including the motor vehicle department employees. They took the opportunity, manufactured and sold the fake ID cards which were all in relation to motor vehicles. There were a number of gang leaders that that ordered the specific fake ID cards from the workers. The Fake ID cards were selling from between $250 and $1000. The people requiring these fake ID cards were illegal immigrants and criminals who were unable to obtain the motor vehicle cards legally. The illegal immigrants would have used the cards to get work in the USA and more than likely claim benefits. The other criminals had probably had their license revoked or were wanted by the police so wanted to keep driving or change their identity.

There was huge demand from their customers for these fake ID cards as these are the cards that all official organisations like banks and the police and other organisations used to obtain information about the card holder and for the card holder to obtain bank accounts. The motor vehicle department had access to all of the official documentation required to make these ID cards including the ID supplies and validation stamps. This is why they ran such a successful organisation for a long time.