NewsChannel 5.com - Nashville, Tennessee - Fake ID Suppliers Busted In Robertson County

Fake ID Suppliers Busted In Robertson County

SPRINGFIELD, Tenn. - Federal agents charged two people with making and selling fake identification in Robertson County.  

Investigators said illegal immigrants buy the IDs so they can get jobs in the United States.

Last week, a NewsChannel 5 investigation revealed how big the problem is.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE call them document vendors. They are people who make and buy fake IDs then sell them to undocumented immigrants.

A grand jury indicted Jose De La Rosa and Angelica Rivera-Montes on a number of charges.

In court late Wednesday, an interpreter told them they are accused of selling birth certificates, and Social Security cards.

Agents believe De La Rosa was also involved in the process of making these fake documents. For more than a month, NewsChannel 5 examined the problem in Springfield.

Through hidden cameras and undercover decoys, NewsChannel 5 discovered how easy it was to buy fake identification for employment.

De La Rosa and Rivera-Montes are in jail awaiting trial.

Each pleaded not guilty in court Wednesday.

Anyone caught selling a birth certificate could face up to 10 years in jail for each count.

The penalty for selling a fake Social Security card is five years in prison.