Richmond Woman Sentenced to More Than 14 Years for Assisting Illegal Aliens in Obtaining Government Identification Documents

Cynthia Damariz Salamanca, 29, of Richmond, Va, was sentenced today to 171 months in prison for her role in running a fraudulent identification scheme that allowed illegal aliens to obtain authentic government issued identification documents. As part of the scheme, Salamanca bribed a DMV employee to obtain government issued drivers’ licenses.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Richard D. Holcomb, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles; and John W. Schilling, Special Agent in Charge of the Diplomatic Security Service Washington Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by United States District Judge Henry E. Hudson .

According to court documents, from approximately 2008 to 2011, Salamanca purchased social security cards and birth certificates from United States citizens in Puerto Rico and sold those documents to illegal aliens in Richmond and elsewhere. Using those illegally purchased documents, Salamanca accompanied her illegal alien customers to various governmental agencies, including the Departments of Motor Vehicles in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, to obtain official government-issued identity cards and driver’s licenses.

During the course of the conspiracy, Salamanca admitted to recruiting a DMV employee to falsify DMV records and issue drivers’ licenses in exchange for thousands of dollars of bribes. In total, Salamanca acknowledged assisting between 50 to 100 illegal aliens in obtaining hundreds of government issued documents.

In addition to Salamanca, five other individuals involved in the conspiracy have pled guilty. Salamanca’s sentence includes five counts of Aggravated Identity Theft, one count of Conspiracy to Commit Identification Fraud, and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud.

This case was investigated by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles-Office of Law Enforcement Services, and Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen W. Miller and Erik S. Siebert prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.uspci.uscourts.gov.

Source: http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae/news/2012/02/20120217salamancanr.html