ALEXANDRIA, VA – Two Northern Virginia men have confessed to running a sophisticated scheme that flooded the United States with fake identification documents. Arya Ebrahimi, 28, of Gainesville, and Tarik Sayed Metwally, 31, of Fairfax, both pled guilty today to charges stemming from their large-scale trafficking operation.
Court records reveal the pair weren’t just slinging plastic to underage drinkers. Ebrahimi and Metwally allegedly imported high-quality counterfeit driver’s licenses and identification cards directly from China. They then peddled these fakes through a network of websites – including apexsfakes.com and fakeyourdrank.com – reaching customers nationwide. The operation wasn’t small-time; authorities believe they procured thousands of fraudulent IDs.
The duo attempted to conceal their tracks by establishing shell corporations – Top Notch IT Services, Inc. and Apex Tech Services, Inc. – to launder payments received through platforms like Zelle. They also employed a complex system of fake names and fraudulent IDs to receive shipments from overseas. Ebrahimi rented storage units in Manassas and Gainesville under aliases – Brian Padilla and Jordan Kalan, respectively – utilizing bogus Illinois and North Carolina driver’s licenses. Metwally followed suit, renting units in Fairfax and Vienna under the names Omar Mustafa and Ahmed Mohammed, again using fabricated Illinois IDs.
The clientele wasn’t limited to those seeking to bypass age restrictions. Investigators discovered the fake IDs were also utilized by foreign nationals, individuals with prior fraud and firearms convictions, and even someone involved in a vehicle theft ring. This wasn’t simply a matter of kids getting into bars; it was a clear threat to national security and public safety. On August 8, 2022, Ebrahimi knowingly transferred $29,736.83 in criminally derived property, further cementing his involvement in the illegal enterprise.
Ebrahimi faces a potential 15-year sentence for trafficking in false identification documents, plus an additional 10 years for engaging in monetary transactions involving illicit funds. Metwally is looking at up to 15 years in prison for the ID trafficking charge. While maximum penalties are significant, actual sentences are determined by the court, considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Ebrahimi’s sentencing is scheduled for September 18, and Metwally’s for September 4.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Jessica D. Aber, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge, Derek W. Gordon, announced the guilty pleas following the acceptance by U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston Jr. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alessandra Serano and Joseph D. G. Castro. Details are available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Eastern District of Virginia, the District Court website, or PACER (Case No. 1:24-cr-53).
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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