February 24, 2010

Document and Benefit Fraud Task Forces

Immigration fraud poses a severe threat to national security and public safety because it creates a vulnerability that may enable terrorists, criminals, and illegal aliens to gain entry to and remain in the United States. One of the ways U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) addresses the infrastructure of illegal immigration is by detecting and deterring immigration fraud.

Established in April 2006, the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Forces (DBFTFs) focus their efforts on detecting, deterring and disrupting both document and benefit fraud. Investigators from a variety of agencies with expertise in different aspects of fraud collaborate with U.S. Attorneys' Offices around the country to formulate a comprehensive approach in targeting the criminal organizations and the beneficiaries behind these fraudulent schemes.

ICE DBFTF partners vary from task force to task force, but can include agencies such as the U.S. Attorneys' Offices, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Social Security Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of State and various state and local law enforcement agencies. Each of these agencies has a different area of expertise and knowledge, and their contributions enable the DBFTFs to conduct more comprehensive investigations.

To date, DBFTFs have been established in 18 SAC offices across the country: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Saint Paul, San Francisco, San Juan, Tampa, and Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia.

Through collaboration and partnership, the DBFTFs maximize resources, eliminate duplication of efforts, and produce a strong law enforcement presence. They combine a variety of law enforcement tools and authorities to achieve focused, high-impact criminal prosecutions and financial seizures.

Supporting these task forces is ICE's Forensic Document Laboratory, the only federal crime laboratory dedicated to the forensic examination of travel and identity documents and the ICE Cyber Crimes Center.

From April 2006 through January 2010, ICE Document and Benefit Task Forces have initiated more than 2,474 investigations, helped bring about 1,681 indictments and 2,020 criminal arrests and resulted in 1,493 convictions.

Document fraud refers to the manufacture, sale, or use of counterfeit identity documents such as fake driver's licenses, birth certificates, Social Security cards or passports – for immigration fraud or other criminal activity. Document fraud also involves efforts to obtain genuine identity documents through fraudulent means and often supports the crime of benefit fraud.

Individuals and criminal enterprises often use fraudulent documents to obtain drivers' licenses and Social Security cards. Traffickers and alien smugglers use these documents to facilitate movement into and within the U.S. and are used to shield illegal aliens from detection. Fraudulent documents may be used to obtain financial benefits and entitlements intended for U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and to obtain unauthorized employment.

Benefit fraud refers to the misrepresentation or omission of material fact on an application to obtain an immigration benefit one is not entitled to, such as U.S. citizenship, political asylum, or a valid visa. Because these benefits potentially provide the ability to freely enter, work or reside in the U.S., they are highly valued by illegal aliens, terrorists, and other criminals.

The coordinated interagency efforts of the DBFTFs will help prevent future benefit abuses, while enabling the identification of criminals who utilize and manufacture false documentation.

Recent Successful DBFTF Cases:

• The SAC Chicago DBFTF is conducting an investigation into major document fraud organizations operating in the vicinity of the "Little Village" area of Chicago. The DBFTF discovered the leadership of the organization, then further identified approximately 30 additional co-conspirators, including the person responsible for the software that create the fraudulent documents, who was residing and operating in Mexico City. The investigation revealed one of the targets had ordered two homicides to be committed in Mexico. SAC Chicago agents notified the ICE Attaché Mexico City and are coordinating with the Government of Mexico to investigate those homicides.
• The SAC Los Angeles DBFTF dismantled a massive marriage fraud scheme. Approximately 3,500 petitions were filed by over 700 U.S. citizens on behalf of nationals from the People's Republic of China and Vietnam. A total of 61 defendants have been indicted as a result of Operation "Newlywed Game," and its spinoffs. To date, 59 defendants have been convicted criminally.
• The SAC Washington, D.C. DBFTF is conducting an ongoing investigation that is focused on the numerous fraudulent document vending enterprises operating in the Adams-Morgan section of Washington, D.C. The investigation has resulted in 12 indictments, 53 criminal arrests and convictions, 31 administrative arrests, and multiple seizures of fraudulent document/document making machines and materials.
• The SAC Newark DBFTF has an ongoing investigation into multiple companies involved in employment-based visa fraud in the information technology field. Newark agents have since conducted 23 search warrants, seized cash and bank accounts totaling $991,026, and 5 automobiles. To date, the investigation has resulted 14 criminal arrests, 14 convictions, and 6 administrative arrests.