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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 6 March 2019
Feds: Forgery operation produced

over 10,000 fake documents

By ANDREW SELSKY sell more than a kilogram In the apartment, agents
Associated Press (2.2 pounds) of meth, pros- found dozens of security
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Locat- ecutors said. images and seals used in
ed in an apartment in a Homeland Security Investi- legitimate identification
primarily Hispanic town in gations had already been documents. They also
Oregon, a clandestine lab looking at the syndicate found stored digital photos
churned out thousands of they called the “Fraud Doc of more than 4,000 custom-
fake Social Security cards, Ring” before the arrest, ers. The Fraud Doc Ring
drivers’ licenses and im- said Kevin Sonoff, spokes- produced a wide array of
migration documents that man for the United States documents, including driv-
were sold around the Unit- Attorney’s Office in Port- ers’ licenses for over 25 dif-
ed States for years. land. After Merecias-Lopez ferent states, Social Securi-
The clandestine operation, was arrested, investigators ty cards, lawful permanent This March 2, 2017, file photo shows a sign advertising bus
revealed for the first time went to his apartment and resident cards, U.S. and trips to California with connections to Mexico, at a shop in the
Tuesday in a federal court found computers, scan- Mexican birth certificates predominantly Latino town of Woodburn, Ore.
document, showed that a ners, laminators, cameras and marriage licenses. Associated Press
syndicate based in Oaxa- and a high-resolution print- There is a huge market questing comment. Mer- ommending a low sen-
ca, Mexico, operated the er. “The fraud ring oper- for such documents. Im- ecias-Lopez said in his peti- tence. For the false docu-
forged-document factory ated in Woodburn for more migrants working illegally tion to plead guilty that he ments conviction, he faces
in Woodburn, a town of than a decade and pro- in this country accounted has a 10th-grade educa- a maximum 15 years in
24,000 in an agricultural duced over 10,000 fraudu- for about 46 percent of tion, and that he under- prison and $250,000 fine.
region a half-hour’s drive lent documents that they America’s roughly 800,000 stands that conviction can The drug conviction car-
from Portland. distributed in Woodburn crop farmworkers in recent lead to imprisonment and ries a maximum sentence
Employers including farms, or mailed to customers years, according to an As- deportation. of life in prison with a 10
nurseries and wineries, rou- around the United States,” sociated Press analysis of Merecias-Lopez, 24, moved year mandatory minimum
tinely employ people who U.S. Attorney Billy Williams data from the U.S. Depart- to Woodburn from Oaxaca sentence and a $10 million
are in the United States ille- and Assistant U.S. Attorney ments of Labor and Agri- in January 2017, long after fine.
gally but who can produce Peter Sax said in the plea culture. Many more work the fraud ring began op- Sonoff said no other arrests
a Social Security card or agreement posted Tues- in the nation’s hospitality, erating. He is responsible have been made and that
work visa. Many agricul- day in court documents. service and construction for creating at least 300 the current criminal inquiry
tural employers say it’s not Previous detailed court industries. fraudulent U.S. government focuses only on Merecias-
their responsibility — and documents remain under Merecias-Lopez’s attorney, documents, according to Lopez and his co-conspira-
that they lack the expertise seal. Brian Walker, did not imme- the plea agreement. tors, not on their customers.
— to determine if the doc- The Fraud Doc Ring com- diately respond to emailed Government prosecutors Sentencing is scheduled for
uments are genuine. municated with custom- and phone messages re- and Walker are jointly rec- June 18.q
The arrest on Sept. 21, 2017, ers using Facebook, email,
of Miguel Merecias-Lopez Snapchat and in person,
in a fast-food restaurant the plea deal states. Cus-
parking lot in Woodburn re- tomers emailed, texted
veals how, in many cases, or mailed the ring digital
such documents are pro- passport-style photos for
duced. Merecias-Lopez insertion into the fake ID
pleaded guilty Tuesday in cards, or visited a clan-
federal court in Portland destine photography lab
to conspiracy to produce in Woodburn where their
false identification docu- photos were taken, the
ments and possession with plea agreement says. Cus-
intent to distribute meth- tomers paid electronically
amphetamine. He had through PayPal, through
gone to the parking lot to the mail or in person.

Autonomous car testing plan
aims to boost public confidence

By RAMESH SANTANAM the city’s Department of
Associated Press Mobility and Infrastructure,
PITTSBURGH (AP) — said the city was working
Companies testing on guidelines before the
autonomous vehicles in March 18 accident in
Pittsburgh will have to Tempe when one of Uber’s
immediately report crashes autonomous test vehicles
resulting in any injuries as hit and killed a pedestrian
part of new guidelines as she crossed a dark
announced Monday road outside the lines of a
intended to boost public crosswalk. The Pittsburgh
confidence in the testing guidelines were included in
after a deadly accident in an executive order signed
Arizona last year. by Mayor Bill Peduto on
Karina Ricks, director of Monday.q