Fraudulent Identification Task Force Completes Operation In Albany County

ALBANY, NY (12/18/2008)(readMedia)-- The State Fraudulent Identification Task Force, which has conducted 16 operations across the state, recently completed a 60-day operation in Albany County. The Task Force is coordinated by the New York State Police and Department of Motor Vehicles in conjunction with the New York State Office of Homeland Security, and its goal is to stop the use of fraudulent or altered identification and to track down operations that are producing fraudulent documents. During the operation, DMV increased the number of investigators assigned to state offices to review documents and worked closely with a variety of enforcement agencies on any leads related to the possession or use of fraudulent identification.

During the 60-day task force operation period, from September 22 to November 22, eight individuals were arrested in Albany County on various felony charges related to having multiple counterfeit New York State driver licenses. In addition, one individual was arrested for presenting fraudulent insurance documents in an attempt to clear a DMV suspension.

The Task Force also conducted several underage drinking enforcement sweeps in conjunction with the City of Albany Police Department and the Albany County District Attorney's Office. This resulted in the recovery of 103 fraudulent or altered license documents, in addition to multiple arrests and citations.

Commissioner David J. Swarts of the State Department of Motor Vehicles said, "The Department was proud to participate in the Task Force's crack down on individuals who would produce, distribute or use fraudulent identity documents. The Department will not tolerate such criminal activity, and I congratulate the other agencies involved for their success and steadfast commitment to these continuing efforts."

Deputy Director Frank Tabert of the Office of Homeland Security said, "Fraudulent identity documents are often precursor elements of serious crimes, including terrorism and I applaud the combined efforts to prevent their production and use in New York State. The task force approach, involving focused state, county and city law enforcement and prosecutors, is a successful model that bolsters the Empire State's safety and security."

New York State Police Special Investigation Unit Major Matthew S. Renneman said, "The magnitude and number of arrests resulting from these initiatives have decreased over the last six years, due not to a lack of effort, but to the success of our previous Fraudulent Identification Task Force initiatives. Lessons learned from previous investigations have contributed to the development of new technology, safeguards and protocols that make the production and effective use of fraudulent documents increasingly difficult. Law Enforcement must remain vigilant, not just for fraudulent driver licenses, but to the attempted use of a wide variety of fraudulently created documents that can be used to generate a false identity."

Chief James W. Tuffey of the City of Albany Police Department said, "We will continue to be vigilant in our efforts to deter underage drinking in the City of Albany. We have far too often witnessed the devastating effects that underage alcohol consumption can have, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold responsible establishments that sell alcohol to minors."

Albany County District Attorney David Soares said, "I applaud Commissioner Swarts and the Department of Motor Vehicles for this successful partnership. Underage drinking and crimes involving fraudulent documents pose serious threats to our communities, and I look forward to working with our partners in law enforcement to continue this vital initiative."

The Task Force was launched in early 2002 to address a recognized need for heightened document security in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It was determined that 18 of the 19 hijackers held a total of 54 driver licenses from multiple states that were obtained with fraudulent documentation in order to conceal their identity and evade law enforcement. Although none of the licenses were issued in New York, this discovery demonstrated the need for a coordinated effort to crack down on fraudulent and altered documents.

The first Task Force detail was conducted in Queens County in New York City in 2003, resulting in 130 people being arrested on at least one felony charge each. Since then, there have been 15 additional details across the state, covering all five boroughs of New York City; Erie, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties; and areas in the Hudson Valley.

Besides recovering fraudulent or altered documents, the task force effort is aimed at shutting down fraudulent document mills. So far, approximately 1,000 people have been arrested, 10,000 fraudulent documents have been recovered and 16 mills in New York and two out of state have been shut down. Fraudulent documents are used for a variety of illicit purposes, including underage drinking, evading warrants, falsifying citizenship, avoiding child-care payments, credit-card fraud, bank fraud and benefits fraud, among others.

Document fraud refers to the manufacture, sale, or use of counterfeit identity documents. Document fraud also involves efforts to obtain genuine identity documents through fraudulent means and the alteration of valid documents to be used for illegal purposes.

In recent years, document fraud has grown more difficult to uncover. In the past, the primary tools of the counterfeit document trade were typewriters and pieces of plastic. The sophistication of these schemes has now grown, as document forgers increasingly use computer software and high-resolution digital scanners to create the false licenses. Additionally, the Internet is being used more frequently to market fake documents directly to customers. Combating document fraud is one of the core functions of the DMV's Division of Field Investigation.

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