Fresno Duo Sentenced for ID Fraud Scheme

FRESNO, Calif. — Francisco Javier Hidalgo-Flores, 25, and Lizet Amairani Ramirez-Zazueta, 26, both of Fresno, were handed down sentences today in a gritty identification document fraud scheme that reached the federal level. U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced that Hidalgo-Flores was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to 15 months in prison for conspiracy to produce and sell false identification documents, while Ramirez-Zazueta was sentenced to time served for selling false ID documents.

According to court records, Hidalgo-Flores, the mastermind behind the operation, manufactured fraudulent IDs, including social security cards and alien registration receipt cards, demanding up to $150 per set. He and Ramirez-Zazueta distributed these fake documents to unsuspecting buyers, putting them at risk of identity theft.

This case stems from a collaborative investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the California Department of Motor Vehicles, Investigations Division. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher D. Baker is leading the prosecution.

Ryan L. Spradlin, special agent in charge of HSI San Francisco, emphasized the gravity of such crimes: “Counterfeit document traffickers will provide anyone with false documents for the right price, posing a potential national security threat and enabling imposters to steal identities and destroy innocent lives.”

The duo was apprehended on June 16, 2016, alongside four other co-defendants. Veronica Rosales-Capitaine is set for sentencing on December 19, 2016, with charges pending against the remaining co-defendants, who are presumed innocent until proven guilty.