BOSTON (AP/WHDH) — Six people, including four Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) clerks, were arrested in a theft scheme that involved issuing fake licenses and ID cards to undocumented immigrants for cash, United States Attorney William Weinreb said.
Evelyn Medina, 56, of Boston, Annette Gracia, 37, of Boston, Kimberly Jordan, 33, of Randolph, David Brimage, 46, of Boston, Bivian Yohanny Brea, 41, of Boston, and Rafael R. Bonano (aka Flako), 32, were charged Wednesday in federal court in Boston with aggravated identity theft.
Investigators said Medina, Gracia, Jordan, and Brimage were employed as clerks at the Haymarket Registry of Motor Vehicles when they were arrested. Brea and Flako are accused of conspiring with the RMV clerks to operate the scheme.
State police received an anonymous tip in Oct. 2015 alleging that a corrupt RMV employee was providing stolen identifications and drivers’ licenses to individuals seeking false identifications, according to investigators.
An investigation revealed that the RMV clerks were allegedly working with Brea, who acted as the document vendor, and Flako, who acted as the document dealer, to provide licenses and identification cards in exchange for cash compensation.
Some of the false identities and addresses were used to fraudulently register to vote in the City of Boston, according to investigators. State Secretary William Galvin said Homeland Security officials gave his office the names of 29 individuals who purchased IDs. Galvin said 10 registered to vote, but none cast ballots.
Flako is accused of selling a Puerto Rican birth certificate and U.S. Social Security card to Brea, the document vendor, for approximately $900. Brea is accused of selling the stolen identities for more than $2,000 to clients seeking legitimate identities in Massachusetts.
Officials said the clients included undocumented immigrants, individuals who were previously deported, and an individual who admitted to previously facing drug charges.
Statement from Massachusetts RMV:
“After learning of alleged fraudulent activity by four members of the RMV staff at the Haymarket Service Center, the RMV notified the Massachusetts State Police’s fraud unit and Department of Homeland Security.
As a result of their investigations, these four individuals have been placed on administrative leave without pay pending further administrative review and action, subject to their collective bargaining agreement. The RMV finds the alleged criminal and fraudulent actions of these individuals to be troubling and intolerable and has also taken immediate steps to suspend the credentials allegedly fraudulently obtained as part of this enterprise.”
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)