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SALT LAKE CITY — Ten people were arrested this week in separate cases by the Utah Attorney General's SECURE Strike Force for allegedly producing and distributing fake documents.
The latest arrests came following a pair of warrants served Wednesday in Ogden where investigators believe a group working next to I-15 was distributing fake driver's licenses, fake Social Security cards, fake green cards and even fake Mexican voter registration cards to illegal immigrants in Utah and Idaho. Three people were arrested in that case.
The busts capped off both a five-week investigation and a busy week for the strike force overall.
On Monday and Tuesday, agents also served warrants in West Jordan and Sugar House and arrested seven others in an operation not connected to Wednesday's arrests.
In Wednesday's arrests, Ken Wallentine, the A.G.'s chief of law enforcement, said investigators had been following a lead based on an out-of-state phone number where fake documents could be purchased. It turned out the number was being used by a person in Utah, he said.
This group was using technology in their document mill, Wallentine said. They were able to send photographs and information of people buying the fake documents electronically.
The SECURE Strike Force is dedicated to working major crimes committed by illegal immigrants. The group made headlines in March for another group of significant busts that included both fake documents as well as pirated DVDs and CDs.
But Wallentine noted that busting document mills was becoming more challenging for law enforcers, whereas a year or so ago they could be spotted, monitored and arrests made with relative ease.
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