United States Attorney Jenny A. Durkan
Western District of Washington
Mexican National Sentenced For Manufacturing ‘Green Cards’
Defendant Produced Fake Documents for Criminally Convicted Illegal Alien
JOSE ALEJANDRO PEREZ-GONZALEZ, 42, of Des Moines, Washington, was sentenced last week to 15 months in prison for Possessing and Selling Fraudulent Alien Registration Receipt Cards (also known as ‘Green cards’). PEREZ-GONZALEZ was in the U.S. illegally and will be deported following his prison term. PEREZ-GONZALEZ was arrested on May 4, 2011, following an undercover investigation. During February and March 2011, PEREZ-GONZALEZ sold 17 forged green cards to investigators. When his apartment was searched there were 20 blank documents waiting to be completed. U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Zilly imposed the sentence.
At the time PEREZ-GONZALEZ was arrested, four people arrived at the apartment building to pick up forged documents. Investigators determined all were in the U.S. illegally. One of the customers, CARMELO ANGEL-HERNANDEZ, 46, had been deported following a conviction for a gang rape (Florida 1987). He has additional arrests and convictions for drug trafficking (California 1991 and 1992), DUI (New York 2007) and promoting prostitution (New York 2009). ANGEL-HERNANDEZ was sentenced last week to a year in prison. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez noted that ANGEL-HERNANDEZ will also be deported following his prison term.
In their sentencing memo prosecutors highlighted the importance of prosecuting those who manufacture fake documents. “The defendant is one of an untold number of individuals selling tens of millions of fraudulent Immigration documents nationwide to the estimated 20 to 30 million illegal aliens in the United States today. These aliens take jobs opportunities from Americans by presenting fraudulent green cards to employers to complete the Employment Eligibility Verification Form,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Don Reno. Mr. Reno is an attorney with ICE specially designated to prosecute criminal immigration cases in federal court.
