Driver’s Licenses Sold To Illegal Aliens
Nearly half a dozen Department of Motor Vehicle employees in south Florida have been criminally charged for selling illegal immigrants official state driver’s licenses.
It marks the second time in less than two years that motor vehicle employees in the Sunshine State get busted for selling the coveted cards to illegal aliens. In late 2007 a state employee in the northern city of Tampa got federally charged with 174 counts of fraud, corruption and official misconduct for operating a large-scale enterprise that sold valid driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants for cash.
The five employees charged this week worked at the DMV office located in south Florida’s Del Ray Beach. Authorities say they issued licenses to illegal aliens who produced fraudulent passports or foreign visitor forms as identity and proof of presence in the United States.
Each motor vehicle employee has been charged with four felonies, including driver’s license fraud, official misconduct, unlawful compensation and computer crimes. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Federal authorities say the investigation into the issuance of Florida driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants is ongoing.
This clearly presents a national security issue since several of the September 11 terrorists used illegally obtained authentic driver’s licenses to board the planes they hijacked. In fact, the 9/11 Commission said that identification cards—such as licenses—are as important to terrorists as explosives.