RICHMOND, Va. — The government says it has cracked a violent, Mexico-based enterprise that delivered false documents to illegal immigrants in 11 states.
An indictment released Thursday by the U.S. attorney's office in Richmond names 22 defendants in the alleged enterprise. The charges include racketeering, money laundering, kidnapping and firearms counts.
According to the indictment, the highly organized ring used cells in a number of states to produce and sell driver's licenses, Social Security cards, work documents and other bogus documentation.
Records cited by prosecutors reveal that the U.S. cells transferred more than $1 million to Mexico from January 2008 through November 2010.
Cells were allegedly located in Virginia, several New England states, Arkansas, Ohio, North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee.