Mexican man pleads guilty in Missouri to conspiracy to sell false documents to illegal aliens

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City man pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to his role in a conspiracy that produced and sold thousands of false identification documents to illegal aliens.

This guilty plea resulted from an investigation by the following agencies: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General, the Kansas Department of Revenue, the Missouri Department of Revenue, and the Clay County (Missouri) Attorney's Office.

Luis Daniel Cabrera-Guzman, aka "Driver," 30, a Mexican citizen residing in Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide false identification documents.

Cabrera-Guzman admitted that he participated in the conspiracy with several other people, including two other Mexican citizens living in neighboring Missouri communities.

These two Cabrera-Guzman accomplices were Cesar Mujica-Aranda, aka "Oscar Gomez," 25, a resident of Liberty, Missouri, and Bernardino Bautista-Hernandez, aka "Brujo," 32, a resident of Kansas City, Missouri.

These individuals, and others, conspired from September 2013 to February 2014 to produce and distribute thousands of false and counterfeit identification documents that were sold to aliens unlawfully residing and working within the United States.

Both Mujica-Aranda and Bautista-Hernandez pleaded guilty in September 2014 to their roles in the conspiracy in a separate but related case.

Mujica-Aranda admitted that he managed the production of counterfeit identification documents at his apartment. He sold the false identification documents he produced to numerous street-level dealers, such as Bautista-Hernandez and Cabrera-Guzman. Mujica-Aranda produced fraudulent U.S. Permanent Resident cards, counterfeit Social Security cards, and false driver's licenses.

Cabrera-Guzman admitted that he was one of the street-level dealers who illegally sold counterfeit identification documents. The street dealers typically paid about $50 for each counterfeit identification document; they kept any excess proceeds they were able to obtain from selling the counterfeit documents. Cabrera-Guzman sold sets of fraudulent documents for about $100 to 200 per set. He also sold false Mexican consular identification cards for about $100 each, and fake Kansas City, Missouri, liquor licenses for about $100.

Under the terms of their various plea agreements, the defendants must each pay a money judgment for the total amount of money that was obtained by this criminal enterprise. Special agents from HSI are still evaluating evidence seized as part of this investigation. They have already identified thousands of identification documents that were produced by the conspiracy. By the time of sentencing, the government may have a better estimate on how many identification documents it can establish were produced by the conspiracy. The final figure may affect the sentencing of these individuals.

Cabrera-Guzman must also forfeit to the government $9,376 that was seized by law enforcement officers at the time of his arrest, and which was obtained as the proceeds of his criminal conduct.

Under federal statutes, Cabrera-Guzman, Mujica-Aranda and Bautista-Hernandez are each subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the U.S. Probation Office completes a presentence investigation.