*** MEDIA ADVISORY *** March 11, 2004                                                             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTATION AND IDENTITY DECEPTION MEDIA CONTACT:  Curtis T. Hill, Jr., 296-1888             My name is Curtis T. Hill, Jr.; I am the Elkhart County Prosecuting Attorney.  I am joined here today by representatives of the state and local Bureau of Motor Vehicles representing our Elkhart, Goshen, and Nappanee License Branches along with representatives of Elkhart County Law Enforcement to announce our collaborative plan to fight fraudulent documentation and identity theft in Elkhart County.  Crimes of deception have long been a disruptive force resulting in untold financial burden upon victims of crimes such as forgery, fraud, and theft.  Traditionally, these crimes have centered on stealing one’s property.  Now, we are in the midst of an ever increasing problem of individuals stealing the identity of another or creating a false identity for corrupt purposes.  Despite any apparent rationale, identity deception is a crime that requires immediate action and significant consequences.  A person who is not the person he claims to be, cannot be held accountable for his conduct or otherwise bad behavior.  Over the course of the past several weeks, Elkhart County Law Enforcement has become aware of a significant increase in the number of persons presenting fraudulent documentation at our three (3) local license branches in an effort to obtain either an Indiana Driver’s License or an Indiana State Identification card.  The Bureau of Motor Vehicles does not condone this activity, neither do we.  Because of the current trend, I recently met with the managers of the Elkhart, Goshen, and Nappanee License Branches as well as representatives of the law enforcement agencies in those municipalities to gain specific insight into the problem and to develop a uniform policy to address these crimes directly.  During this meeting, we learned that each week, our local branches are documenting fifteen (15) to twenty (20) attempts to secure fake identification.  This significant increase is directly related to foreign nationals of Hispanic origin.  In addition, our intelligence reveals that these individuals are purchasing fraudulent or forged documentation packets which are then being used to support their bogus applications for state identification cards and state driver’s licenses.In 2003,the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Unit of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office along with the Elkhart Police Department conducted two (2) joint investigations which led to the dismantling and prosecution of two (2) large operations involving fraudulent documentation.  We are currently involved in another investigation into yet a third similar operation.  The state and local BMV and Elkhart County Law Enforcement have reached consensus and agreement to work proactively to thwart the use of false documentation and misrepresentations and to further punish those who try.  Our local BMV representatives have been trained to recognize phony documentation as well as conduct consistent with efforts to secure bogus identification.  Each of the local branches will immediately notify law enforcement upon reasonable suspicion that the crime of identity deception is being committed.  Law enforcement will respond immediately and upon confirmation of the commission of the crime will arrest individuals for identity deception a Class D Felony and they will secure all documentation provided to the BMV by the suspect as well as all application materials submitted to the BMV by the suspect.  In the event that law enforcement is unable to ascertain the true identity of the accused following arrest, my office will recommend that the accused be deposited in the Elkhart County Jail with no bond.  In addition, the deputy prosecutors have been instructed to fast track and prioritize all cases involving identity theft and identity theft related cases including forgery and fraud and further to seek significant sanctions for violations of these crimes.  All persons determined to be of illegal status caught committing these offenses, will have their information turned over to the Department of the Immigration and Naturalization immediately with a request that they be deported from the United States.While the immediate cause for the implementation of this strategy stems from the increase in attempts by foreign nationals of Hispanic origin, these policies will apply to any person in Elkhart County, choosing to steal someone’s identity or choosing to create a fake identity,in violation of the state’s statute prohibiting identity deception.  Those of us who recently met and are gathered here today all agree that if we choose to do nothing in the face of this growing crime, we will allow this community to be ripe for those who prefer to have their true identities and sometimes their true intentions unknown.  Today, it may be a foreign national seeking false identification in order to secure employment.  Tomorrow, it may be a foreign national securing fake identification in furtherance of a terrorist plot.  We, who have joined together, representing the state of Indiana and Elkhart County, take homeland security very seriously.While we will enforce the statutes aggressively, it is my hope that those who anticipate submitting false documentation in order to secure otherwise valid documents from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, reconsider and heed this warning:  Committing identity theft through the Elkhart County License Branches will land you in jail.  Don’t do it.