The United States Attorney’s 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 driver’s 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.