(Albany, NY - May 12, 2005) -- New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Raymond P. Martinez today announced the arrests of 21 individuals in an ongoing investigation being conducted in coordination with federal, state, and local prosecutors and law enforcement agencies. The individuals were arrested in Rockland County, Putnam County and Kings County and are being charged with offering the DMV counterfeit documents to verify their social security numbers.

The lengthy investigation uncovered a sophisticated scheme where advertisements were placed in various downstate newspapers and through internet sources where responders to the ads were offered a guarantee that their license would be renewed. Responders to the ads were then provided with counterfeit documents that were then offered to the Department of Motor Vehicles to verify their ineligibility for a valid social security number. All of the individuals arrested paid "fees" of varying amounts for the documents and assistance in language interpretation to complete government forms.

"To reduce fraud and to ensure the safety and security of all New Yorkers, applicants for New York State licenses and Non-Driver Identification cards are required to provide current, valid and verifiable proof of identity," Commissioner Martinez. "Because of our joint efforts, these twenty-one individuals have been arrested for attempting to circumvent these requirements and defraud our system, and the larger scheme they were participants in has been uncovered."

"Through our investigations we continue to uncover the fraudulent use of social security numbers for activities relating to identity theft, insurance bank fraud, and attempts by individuals to manipulate the system because their licenses have been revoked for dangerous driving behavior," Commissioner Martinez added.

The commissioner noted that arrests by DMV investigators has increased seven-fold in the past four years and hundreds of fraudulent documents have been confiscated at DMV issuing offices.

In addition to the DMV, participating in the investigation were investigators from the Albany County District Attorney's office, the New York State Police, New York City Police Department, Social Security Administration Inspector General's Office, United States Postal Inspection Service, Spring Valley Police Department, and Carmel Police Department.

New York State Police Superintendent Wayne F. Bennett, said, "These arrests are the result of a collaborative multi-agency investigation that revealed a criminal scheme, enlisting the use of counterfeit documents for fraudulent and other criminal purposes. In and of itself, this activity is a serious concern, but it is also a potentially far greater threat to state and national security."

Albany County District Attorney P. David Soares, said, "The Albany County District Attorney's office plays a key role in investigating, coordinating, and prosecuting these large, complex state-wide investigations. Securing justice and protecting innocent people from falling victim to these types of fraud and identity theft is a fundamental obligation of this office."

The individuals arrested were charged with one felony count of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree.