Dominican man arrested in fraudulent identity document scheme

BOSTON — An illegal alien residing in Chelsea, Massachusetts, was arrested Tuesday night on a complaint charging conspiracy to fraudulently issue identification documents, following an investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, which includes the Department of Labor, Social Security Administration and U.S. Postal Inspections Service.

Edwin Amaurys Parra Suarez (Parra), 37, was arrested in connection with a scheme to produce false identification documents. The complaint affidavit alleges that from December 2012 through January 2013, Parra bribed an employee of the Revere office of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) in connection with a scheme to issue Massachusetts driver's licenses to individuals who were not eligible to obtain such documentation.

According to the affidavit, Parra conspired with a RMV clerk to produce at least 29 Massachusetts drivers' licenses for individuals who are not entitled to them. Parra allegedly paid the clerk between $100 and $1,000 in cash for each of the fraudulent licenses. This arrest is the most recent development in investigations involving identity theft and public corruption relating to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.

A probable cause hearing will be held on Jan. 7, 2015 at 2:15. The charging statutes provide for a sentence of no more than five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the statutory maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. As a citizen of the Dominican Republic with an outstanding order of removal, an ICE detainer was also lodged.

Established in April 2006, the ICE task forces 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.

Through collaboration and partnership, the task forces 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.