Investigations

On August 3, Virginia Villegas, a former driver’s license examiner for the Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (CO-DMV) pled guilty in the U.S. District Court in Denver to one count of fraud in connection with identification documents. Villegas admitted to facilitating the unlawful sale of Colorado driver licenses, including CDLs to illegal aliens. Unqualified drivers pose a safety threat to all travelers on our nation’s roadways. Sentencing for Villegas is scheduled for October 28, 2005. Another CO-DMV employee, Janet J. Gonzales, and two middlemen in the fraud scheme, Juan Pablo Beltran and Juan Francisco Alderete-Diaz, recently pled guilty to similar charges and await sentencing. Following retesting, CO-DMV revoked over 100 licenses issued by Villegas and Gonzales. A commercial truck driving school and certified third-party testing facility for CDLs has also been searched in connection with the ongoing joint investigation being conducted with the Social Security Administration, DHS-ICE, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI, the Colorado Department of Revenue, and with assistance from FMCSA.