LOS ANGELES, California – Carlos Ayala Hernandez, a.k.a. “Juan Juarez,” 44, and Nestor Perez, a.k.a. “Daniel Perez,” 32, both from the San Fernando Valley, pleaded not guilty to a 19-count indictment alleging they were part of a prolific document trafficking ring that created and sold counterfeit United States passport cards, Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, and other documents.
According to the indictment filed on February 9, from January 2016 to January 2021, Hernandez, Guerrero, and Perez conspired to produce false identification documents that appeared to have been issued by the United States government, and driver’s licenses purporting to be from multiple states, including California, Wyoming, and Pennsylvania.
Hernandez, Guerrero, and Perez allegedly operated the counterfeit document mill from a Van Nuys apartment, where they manufactured and stored the fake IDs. Hernandez and Guerrero received orders from customers, usually via text message, and arranged for pickup times and places, usually in the parking lots of restaurants or pharmacies, in exchange for cash.
On January 7, 2021, the defendants were found to possess a large quantity of counterfeit documents, including 21 U.S. passport cards, 68 Social Security cards, five Lawful Permanent Resident cards, two Employment Authorization Document cards, 135 driver’s licenses, and 11 foreign identification documents.
The charges related to the counterfeit documents each carry a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. If convicted of all charges, the defendants would face potential sentences of decades in prison.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew C. Chan and Assistant United States Attorney Gregory D. Bernstein.
An April 6 jury trial date has been scheduled before United States District Judge John F. Walter.
The three defendants in this case were arrested pursuant to a criminal complaint on January 27. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Hernandez also pleaded not guilty to one count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. On February 19, a third defendant, Miguel Juarez Guerrero, 23, of Van Nuys, pleaded not guilty to 18 charges related to the fake document mill.
Hernandez allegedly possessed $40,000 in cash at his residence on January 7, 2021.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Identity Theft|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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