State Police Arrest Over 90 Customers
in Fraudulent ID Sweeps
Hackensack, N.J. – During two days of sweeps, the New Jersey State Police arrested 93 individuals who allegedly purchased fraudulent documents that were later used to obtain genuine New Jersey digital driver’s licenses. These arrests are the result of an FBI investigation that led to yesterday’s arrest of Young-Kyu Park, leader of the criminal enterprise that counterfeited a variety of government documents. Twenty-one other people were charged federally in this case.
The cooperative investigation that involved the New Jersey State Police Auto Unit, United States Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission led to the identification of 136 targets that obtained driver’s licenses using these illegal documents. Criminal complaints were authorized by Bergen County Superior Court Judge Roma, charging the suspects with Tampering with Public Records and Falsifying Records.
On Wednesday, June 27th and Thursday, June 28th, arrest teams fanned out across northern New Jersey to serve arrest warrants on the suspects identified in this investigation.
“The valid New Jersey Driver’s Licenses that were obtained using fraudulent documents could undoubtedly be used to commit crimes and additional acts of fraud,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “Continued vigilance and collaborative law enforcement efforts are instrumental in ensuring that this type of crime is investigated and prosecuted.”
“This investigation reaffirms the value of a driver’s license as a breeder document and the need for the MVC to maintain the security and integrity of its operations,” said Motor Vehicle Commission Chairman and Chief Administrator Raymond P. Martinez. “Complacency is not an option, which is why we continue to invest in technology, training and internal controls that help us to identify and crack down on criminal activity.”
Of those arrested today, three were detained by Homeland Security Investigations; the remainder were released pending court. In total, 43 people are still being sought in New Jersey on county warrants for possession of these fraudulent documents.
A list of agency partners includes:
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- United States Homeland Security
- United State Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- United States Attorney District of New Jersey
- New Jersey Department of Corrections
- New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
- Bergen County Prosecutors Office
- Essex County Prosecutors Office
- Bergen County Sheriffs Department
- Bloomfield Police Department
- Clifton Police Department
- Eatontown Police Department
- Fort Lee Police Department
- Palisades Park Police Department
The charges and allegations are merely accusations and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
# # # |
