Suspects indicted in fake documents ring

Kim Smith

Thursday, Nov. 4, 1999 | 11:03 a.m.

A dozen men were indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday in connection with a bogus document-making scam that was broken up last month following an undercover operation.

According to the indictment, the men produced and sold fake documents between July 28 and Oct. 13 from an area near Eastern Avenue and Bonanza Road. Among the documents sold were fake Social Security cards, green cards, birth certificates and driver's licenses.

The men were charged in the 22-count indictment of conspiracy, production of false identification documents, counterfeit alien registration receipt cards, possession of counterfeit Social Security cards, possession of document-making implementations and aiding and abetting.

Two of the men were also indicted on one count each of illegal re-entry of an illegal alien.

According to Metro Police and immigration authorities, the items were sold at a local swap meet to illegal aliens desperate to work in the United States. The documents were sold for anywhere from $80 to $120.

Indicted were Antonio Gonzalez-Velasquez, Noel Hernandez-Parra, Jose Israel Velasquez-Lopez, Raul Ramirez-Ornelas, Rafael Luna-Mesa, Jose Luis Alvarez-Flores, Luis Ayala-Garcia, Luis Benito Espinosa-Marquina, Adolfo Pineda-Rios, Ernesto Granados-Morales, Fernando Sandoval-Davalos and Jorge Sierra-Ontiveros.

Also indicted Wednesday was Richard Dennis Hayden on 27 counts of mail fraud.

According to the indictment, Hayden posed as a wholesaler on an Internet-based auction service and convinced 26 people to send him checks even though he had no merchandise. One of the 26 people was duped twice.

Hayden operated his scheme between June 3, 1998, and Dec. 31, 1998, the indictment stated.

Four men were also indicted Wednesday for allegedly obtaining college loans under false pretenses. According to the indictment, Melvin C. Baugh, Albert Brown, Stephen A. Villegas and Juwan Kenney submitted loan applications stating that they had been accepted to the American University of Paris. Along with the loans, the men submitted forged documents from the college verifying their enrollment.

As a result the men received federal Stafford Loans of between $10,000 and $17,000 each, the indictment stated.