State cracks down on fake identifications

Tuesday, April 20, 2004 | 8:28 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- More than 50 people have been arrested by investigators with the state Department of Motor Vehicles since a 2003 law made identification fraud a felony.

The enforcement also appears to be having the intended effect, Mike Pirtle, supervising investigator of the Las Vegas Document Fraud Unit, said Monday.

"The word is getting out," Pirtle said. "We have seen a marked decrease in the number of attempted identity fraud cases in DMV offices."

The Legislature, in its Homeland Security Bill, made possession of bogus ID documents a felony. The Las Vegas unit, under Pirtle, was created in October with four investigators and a document examiner. It has opened 400 cases, arrested 25 people and issued warrants, summonses and citations in another 11 cases.

A spokesman for the department said it does not keep track of the convictions after the arrests when the cases are turned over to local district attorneys. The department said a typical case would involve a customer trying to use a false driver's license, birth certificate or other document when applying for a license. Counter technicians have been trained to spot false identification. If a counter technician sees a document that raises suspicion, it is taken to a supervisor who then calls an investigator, if warranted.

The arrest would then be made or a citation issued.

In Reno since November 2002, two investigators have opened 190 cases, arrested 33 people and issued warrants or citations in 17 cases. Reno got a head start with a pilot program before the change in the law.

In addition to the ID fraud, investigators have taken action on false motor vehicle titles and rolled-back odometer readings.

Investigators can use online Social Security number verification and also are able to contact immigration authorities to determine if an applicant is a legal resident. The new digital driver's license technology also allows technicians to compare a photograph with an applicant's face when applying for a duplicate driver's license.

The 2003 law also allows the department to ask for additional identification from an out-of-state motorist if the person comes from a state that has less stringent proof of identity than Nevada. Nevada now asks for a birth certificate or other additional proof from people coming from 20 other states, the District of Columbia and all U.S. territories.

It is a misdemeanor, not a felony, under the new law for a minor who attempts to obtain false identification for drinking and gaming purposes.