Florida Lawyer Common James Uthmeier and Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford introduced the arrest of eight people linked to a driver’s license fraud scheme that allegedly focused undocumented immigrants. This operation was uncovered by means of a joint investigation by the Bay County Sheriff’s Workplace (BCSO) and Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI). It revealed that two Division of Motor Autos (DMV) staff had been issuing licenses in alternate for money funds.
In response to investigators, the 2 DMV staff—Bancelie Velazco and Demetrius Smith II—had been chargeable for issuing an unusually excessive variety of licenses. Surveillance footage indicated that many recipients bypassed legally required assessments. Authorities reported that people traveled from throughout Florida to the Bay County workplace to acquire these fraudulent licenses.
The operation concerned a community of intermediaries who acted as brokers, connecting purchasers with the DMV staff. Funds had been made each in particular person and thru digital fee apps.
The eight people arrested to this point face a wide range of prices, together with the illegal issuance of driver’s licenses, official misconduct, and illegal possession of a driver’s license. Along with Velazco and Smith, these arrested embody Niurbis Rosales, Leonardo Gutierrez, Hung Du, Isbrieta Parra, Zoila Gonzalez-Pena, and Mirna Fernandez.
Lawyer Common Uthmeier highlighted the state’s place on immigration-related crimes, stating, “Florida’s Sheriffs are on the entrance traces of our state’s combat in opposition to unlawful immigration. My warning to any unlawful alien coming to Florida to commit additional crimes is that this: we are going to discover you, maintain you accountable, and ship you again to the place you got here from.”
Sheriff Ford expressed gratitude to partnering businesses, stating, “We recognize our companions who hold our state secure.”
The investigation continues to be lively, and officers point out that extra arrests and prices could observe.
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