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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Richmond, Virginia, man has pleaded guilty to participating in a sophisticated multistate fake identification ring.
Manuel Garcia-Rojas pleaded guilty to racketeering and attempted robbery Friday in U.S. District Court in Richmond. He will be sentenced July 31. Nine co-defendants are scheduled for trial June 2.
According to prosecutors, Garcia-Rojas was a "runner" for the Richmond cell of a fake ID enterprise based in Mexico that also had operations in Arkansas, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio and Rhode Island. A runner's job was to solicit illegal aliens as customers for phony documents, including Social Security cards and green cards.
Garcia-Rojas and three co-defendants were accused of trying to assault a rival fake ID maker and steal his equipment. Prosecutors say a police traffic stop thwarted the scheme.
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