Diplomatic Security Investigators Honored by U.S. Attorney for ‘Operation Junk Jockeys’

Five Diplomatic Security (DS) investigators have been honored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia for their investigation of two trucking company executives who participated in an identity-theft and driver’s-license fraud ring.

Speaking at the 2008 Law Enforcement Public Service Awards on April 18, 2008 in Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg commended DS Special Agents Jorge Espinoza, Todd Healey, Brendan McCaughey, Annette Paxson, and Lee Rowland for their investigative work in “Operation Junk Jockeys.”

The DS investigation found that trucking company owners Jose Pereira Silva and Fausto Ferrez Pereira, both of Philadelphia, helped illegal immigrants from Brazil fraudulently obtain commercial driver’s licenses using identities stolen from U.S. citizens. The trucking companies then employed at least 25 of the illegal immigrants as commercial truck drivers over a 30-month period.

In addition to Silva and Pereira, DS investigators arrested 11 of the truck drivers and one vendor of fraudulent documents in June 2007. The DS team identified more than 50 identities of U.S. citizens which had been used to obtain fraudulent commercial driver’s licenses.

The case was considered a major case because of the large number of conspirators and the homeland security ramifications of illegal immigrants being able to work in the nation’s transportation infrastructure. The defendants in the case were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s National Security and Terrorism Unit.

“We were proud to honor these agents,” said United States Attorney Chuck Rosenberg. “Their commitment to bringing the individuals charged to justice was demonstrated through their diligence and exemplary investigative work.”

All of the suspects pled guilty and were sentenced to up to 20 months in prison. In addition, the trucking company owners agreed to forfeit a combined $1.6 million in company assets, and the truck drivers will be deported after serving their prison sentences.

Operation Junk Jockeys also led to the arrest of two individuals who used fraudulent identity records from the document vendor to apply for U.S. passports.

DS was one of several law enforcement agencies recognized at the awards presentation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for investigative work conducted in 2007.

The Bureau of Diplomatic Security is the U.S. Department of State’s law enforcement and security arm. The special agents, engineers, and security professionals of the Bureau are responsible for the security of 285 U.S. diplomatic missions around the world. In the United States, Diplomatic Security personnel protect the U.S. Secretary of State and high-ranking foreign dignitaries and officials visiting the United States, investigate passport and visa fraud, and conduct personnel security investigations. In 2007, DS participated in 1,955 arrests globally, primarily for passport and visa fraud, including 406 arrests overseas in cooperation with foreign police. Read more in the U.S. Department of State’s Visa and Passport Security Strategic Plan at: http://www.state.gov/m/ds/rls/rpt/79895.htm. Additional information about the U.S. Department of State and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security may be obtained at www.state.gov/m/ds.

Contact: 
David Bates
571-345-2518
BatesDE@state.gov