The United States Attorneys Office
District of Massachusetts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2009
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/MA
RMV EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH IDENTITY THEFT IN FEDERAL COURT
BOSTON, MA - Today federal agents arrested an employee at the Massachusetts Registry
of Motor Vehicles, Braintree Branch, on federal identity theft charges.
United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in
Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Investigation in
Boston; Jeff Paula, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General,
Social Security Administration, Office of Investigations - Boston Field Division;
and Colonel Mark Delaney, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police announced
today that JANICE WASHINGTON, age 48, of Brockton, Massachusetts, was charged
in a Complaint with identity theft.
The Complaint alleges that WASHINGTON, using her position at the RMV, issued valid
drivers licenses to undocumented aliens using the identities of other individuals.
WASHINGTON was allegedly paid a cash bribe per license issued.
If convicted of these charges, WASHINGTON faces up to fifteen years imprisonment,
to be followed by three years of supervised released and a $250,000 fine.
WASHINGTON was identified as the result of a six month long investigation led
by the ICE Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force into the sale of genuine Puerto
Rican birth certificates and social security cards to undocumented aliens. The
case was also investigated by the Social Security Administration and the Massachusetts
State Police Compliance Unit. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys
Jeffrey M. Cohen and Maxim Grinberg of Sullivan's Public Corruption and Major
Crimes Units, respectively.
The details contained in the Complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed
to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court
of law.