Two men were indicted Thursday for trafficking counterfeit Green Cards, Social Security cards, and other ID cards out of a Sunset Park, Brooklyn, bakery. The crimes were discovered by a year-long undercover investigation conducted by the Department of Homeland Security.
Jose Mateo Castro, 56, and Leonel Escamiilo, 43, used equipment obtained online to manufacture cards that were virtually indistinguishable from the real thing, the office of the Attorney General for Kings County, Brooklyn, said in a statement.
“Trafficking of forged federal identification cards is not a victimless crime,” said District Attorney Charles J. Hynes. They are used for many illicit purposes, including identity theft, and obtaining access to workplaces and other private areas, Hynes added.
Undercover police charged that Castro sold fake Green Cards and Social Security cards on multiple occasions to undocumented aliens in exchange for $130.
The men faced multiple charges of criminal possession of a forged instrument, forgery and each face up to seven years in prison followed by deportation to Mexico.
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