Two DMV employees and others arrested in a scheme to sell driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, according to Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford.
BAY COUNTY, Fla. - Eight people have been arrested after a joint investigation by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations, where illegal immigrants were allegedly paying to get fraudulent driver’s licenses.
“About a month ago, we began investigating information that individuals within the Bay County Tax Collector’s Office were issuing fraudulent driver’s licenses to aliens,” said Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford. Investigators say suspicious driver’s license transactions were occurring at the Bay County Tax Collector’s Office, and two DMV employees were being financially compensated to provide driver’s licenses to those who did not qualify for them. “Analysis of financial records confirms that the employees were receiving large sums of currency from numerous sources,” Sheriff Ford said. Investigators say individuals were traveling from across the state, some as far as Miami, to get licenses without taking proper tests. “These weren’t minor shortcuts; these were intentional acts of corruption where individuals paid bribes in exchange for skipping critical safety evaluations,” said Sheriff Ford. The two employees arrested, Bancelie Velazco and Demetrius Smith II, are both from Panama City. Velazco has been charged with nine counts of DMV Employee Issue Unlawful DL and nine counts of Official Misconduct. Smith has been charged with eight counts of DMV Employee Issue Unlawful DL and eight counts of Official Misconduct.BCSO investigators say Velazco and Smith were using third parties to act as intermediaries, including individuals and organizations. One of those was CubaMax, located in Callaway. CubaMax is a company that processes immigration documents. According to investigators, CubaMax was acting as a referral source for those trying to get driver’s licenses fraudulently.Niurbis Rosales, who owned and operated CubaMax, is facing 24 counts of DMV Employee Issue Fraud DL and 24 counts of Official Misconduct. Leonardo Gutierrez faces seven counts of DMV Employee Issue Fraud DL and seven counts of Official Misconduct. Hung Du is facing 36 counts of Principal: DMV Employee Issue Fraud DL and 36 counts of Official Misconduct. Isbrieta Parra faces seven counts of Principal: DMV Employee Issue Fraud DL and seven counts of Official Misconduct. Zoila Gonzalez-Pena, an employee of CubaMax, faces 12 counts of DMV Employee Issue Fraud DL and 12 counts of Official Misconduct. Also arrested but not identified as operating as an intermediary was Mirna Fernandez, also from Panama City. Deputies say Fernandez obtained her driver’s license by paying to receive a passing grade on her exam and skills exam. She faces a charge of Unlawful Possession of a Driver’s License.“I am angry, and I am shocked to learn that these individuals, now two former employees, engaged in fraudulent activity that violated the trust of our office and our community,” said Perdue.“An employee, on average, during the month, will do 20-25 road exams. I had one employee, Mr. Smith, who did 295 exams one month,” Perdue said.“We have a lot of opportunities for improvement, and I look forward to working with our state partners and our law enforcement agencies to put those processes in place,” said Perdue.WJHG News appHouse of God's Glory Church hosts"Worth the Wait" Conference
Illegal Immigrants Fraudulent Driver's Licenses Driver's License Florida Illegal DMV Scheme Arrests Bay County Sheriff's Office
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