Leader of multi-state fraudulent document scheme sentenced to 6 years

NEWARK, N.J. —The leader of a multi-state criminal organization who ran a scheme to fraudulently obtain driver’s licenses for illegal aliens and other ineligible individuals was sentenced Thursday to six years in federal prison. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Criminal Investigations Division and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.

Young-Kyu Park, 58, formerly of Fort Lee, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Faith S. Hochberg to conspiracy to produce identification and false identification documents; conspiracy to steal government property and transport stolen property in interstate commerce, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to court documents, Park was the leader of a criminal enterprise operating in Palisades Park and Fort Lee as well as outside New Jersey. He was one of 22 people charged in June 2012 with providing a suite of unlawful services to individuals illegally residing in the United States, including fraudulently obtaining driver’s licenses, and investor and student visas. Federal agents arrested defendants in New Jersey, New York, California, Nevada, Virginia, and Georgia including a contract employee of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) charged with and later convicted of stealing and providing forms used to aid in the scheme.

The Park Criminal Enterprise illegally obtained driver’s licenses genuinely issued by New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Nevada and elsewhere. To do so, it acquired, created, and counterfeited a variety of documents for sale to customers. Members of the Park Criminal Enterprise also escorted customers to various state motor vehicle agencies and coached them on obtaining the licenses. In return, customers each paid the Park Criminal Enterprise a fee of $3,000 to $4,500 for the unlawful services.

Park fraudulently obtained, completed and sold genuine I-797 forms for customers to get licenses. An I-797 form is used by the federal government to convey an immigration benefit. State agencies that issue driver’s licenses rely on these forms to verify the authenticity of an applicant’s foreign passport and to verify the applicant’s lawful presence in the United States. One version of this form can be used to show eligibility for in-state college tuition.

The Park Criminal Enterprise also altered and counterfeited other immigration documents, including passports, and created and provided fictitious documents to customers such as fictitious utility bills and bank statements used to establish residency requirements.

In addition to the prison term, Park was sentenced to two years of supervised release, fined $10,000 and ordered to forfeit $1.2 million.