Bogus green card outfit busted

Jace Radke and Kim Smith

Friday, Oct. 8, 1999 | 11:15 a.m.

Metro Police and Immigration and Naturalization Services agents arrested 67 people Thursday morning in the culmination of a four-month investigation into a counterfeit green card ring.

Karen Dorman, officer in charge of the Las Vegas INS office, said detectives believe the organization had been working in the Las Vegas area for about two years.

The ringleaders employed illegal aliens to hang out at shopping centers that cater to the Hispanic community in order to solicit potential customers, Dorman said.

"They also had managed to eliminate the competition by employing street gangs to scare and intimidate them," Dorman said. "The organization operated much like a legitimate business with shift work and days off."

Undercover officers, patrol officers and INS agents set up the sting early Thursday morning at the Bonanza Discount Center Indoor Swap Meet, 574 E. Bonanza Road.

"They (the suspects) weren't very happy about the whole thing, but we were," said Metro Lt. Mark Tavarez. "This group was making several thousands of fake IDs, passports and green cards."

Authorities also raided two apartments on nearby 28th Street, just east of the swap meet. The apartments were the headquarters for the group, Tavarez said.

Authorities seized $6,000 and a large number of counterfeit cards in various states of completion, Tavarez said.

Dorman said all of those arrested were in the United States illegally and will remain in custody on those charges while detectives conduct their questioning.

At least 17 of those arrested will probably be charged, but the specific charges have not yet been determined, Dorman said.

The organization apparently had a hierarchy of runners, enforcers, vendors and supervisors, Dorman said.

"We are still interviewing people, we were here all night," Dorman said this morning. "I imagine it will take a good portion of today and next week to figure out exactly what we've got here."