Ohio BMV aids FBI in illegal immigrant bust in Cleveland

[Zeppelin]

Driver Licenses being issued at the Parma Ohio deputy registrar. From http://www.fbi.gov

 

For Immediate Release

October 29, 2009 FBI Cleveland

Contact: Special Agent Scott Wilson

(216) 622-6611

Members of International Criminal Organization Arrested

 

C. Frank Figliuzzi, Special Agent in Charge of the Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), for the Northern District of Ohio, announces the arrests of Pavlo Mostranskyy, age 45, Ukrainian National from Cleveland, Ohio; Sonya Hilaszek, age 45, of Cleveland, Ohio; and Vitaly Fedorchuk, age 40, of Cleveland, Ohio on October 29, 2009. Mostranskyy, Hilaszek, and Fedorchuk have been charged with a Federal Conspiracy to Commit Fraud and Related Activity in Connection with Identification Documents and Information. Mostranskyy, Hilaszek, and Fodorchuk were charged and arrested after a lengthy investigation conducted by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Ohio Department of Public Safety-BMV Investigations Section, Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigative Division, Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General, and the Cleveland Office of the FBI.

 

Also charged in connection with this investigation are Johongir Masudov, age 27, Uzbekistan National from Cincinnati, Ohio; Azamjon Asodov, age 43, Uzbekistan National from Cincinnati, Ohio; Valentina Denisova, age 30, Russian National from Cincinnati, Ohio; Artak Serobyan, age 25, Armenian National from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Petro Vytvytskyy, age 45, Russian National from Newark, New Jersey; Galina Dobrova – Volochiy, age 49, Ukrainian National from Newark, New Jersey; Dmytro Karabinovych, age 47, of Newark, New Jersey; Ivan Volochiy, age 40, Ukrainian National from Newark, New Jersey; Roman Matveev, age 32, Russian National from Newark, New Jersey; Vasyl Yatskiv, age 30, Russian or Ukrainian National from Chicago, Illinois; Michael Slepyan, age 41, Israeli National from Chicago, Illinois; Hennadiy Vaskevych, age 43, of Chicago, Illinois; Bohdan Borsuk, age 48, Polish National of Chicago, Illinois; Zdzislaw Kowalczyk, age 52, of Chicago, Illinois; and Martynas Bojarcius, age 29, of Chicago, Illinois.

 

This investigation started in December of 2007 when information was received that individuals in the Cleveland Ukrainian community were involved in a scheme to bring foreign nationals to Cleveland, Ohio and help them fraudulently obtain real Ohio driver’s licenses for a fee, issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) by a Deputy Registrar working for this criminal organization. The investigation focused on Vitaly Fedorchuk who was identified as the leader of the criminal organization; Sonya Hilaszek, a corrupt employee at the Deputy Registrars Office in Parma, Ohio; and Pavlo Mostranskyy, who acted as a middle-man bringing the foreign nationals to Cleveland. Other members of the organization were based in several cities throughout the United States and worked with and for Fedorchuk and Mostranskyy to identify and facilitate customers through the operation.

 

An undercover FBI agent was able to fraudulently obtain a real Ohio Driver’s License in August of 2008 for $3000 from this criminal organization. The investigation showed that this criminal organization operated for at least four years, charging foreign nationals, most of whom are unlawfully present, between $1,500 and $3,000 for Ohio driver’s licenses, and Ohio state identification cards using either fraudulent documentation or none at all.

 

During the course of the US-based investigation, the investigators here in Cleveland discovered evidence that the criminal group in Ohio were working with criminal counterparts in Ukraine. Together, they fraudulently obtained United States non-immigrant visas for Ukrainian nationals who then traveled to Ohio and other points in the United States. The visas were obtained from the United States Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, allegedly through corrupt Ukrainian national employees of the US Embassy. The investigative team from Cleveland, the FBI’s Legal Attaché’s Office in Kyiv, and Diplomatic Security Service Special Agents assigned to the US Embassy in Ukraine investigated the Ukrainian criminal group jointly with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Organized Crime Department over the course of many months. The criminal group allegedly charged each visa applicant $12,000.00. As a result of the joint international investigation, seven members of the Ukraine-based criminal organization, including two Embassy employees, were officially detained today in Ukraine by investigators of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs for violation of Ukrainian laws.

 

Fedorchuk, Hilaszek, and Mostranskyy will appear today in United States District Court for their initial appearance on these charges.

 

Any questions regarding this news release can be directed to SA Scott T. Wilson at the Cleveland Office of the FBI, 216-522-1400.

[Crossle]

Holy spark notes batman

 

Immigrants illegally getting other immigrants driver's licenses through a source working at the BMV in Cleveland. People coming in paying big bucks for the licenses.

 

Whole shit ton of people listed are in deep shit.

 

 

Neato, about time we start taking our country over again.

[Draco-REX]

I'm all for giving people a fair chance and living with them in the US. Despite all the BS we like to gripe about, this is still a great country to live in. People who weren't born here should be able to come here and be successful the same as the rest of us.

 

BUT if they don't pay INTO the system, they shouldn't get any benefits FROM the system. To those people, I say "Get the fuck out, freeloaders!"

[Clifford Automotive]

Good Deal!

[Zeppelin]

This is kind of related also. BMV recently sent out letters to about 45,000 vehicle registration holders because they could not be referenced to a valid Ohio driver license number or social security number. This, along with the new residency requirements here http://www.publicsafety.ohio.gov/links/MR2009/10_01_09ProofofResidency.pdf are aimed at curbing illegal immigrants getting, or that already have, vehicle registration and are driving both illegally and without insurance.

 

Well, this morning NBC4 reported that, at Westland Mall, at about 11:00 am TODAY, Hispanic groups are meeting to try and come up with a way to have these procedures changed because they feel Hispanics are being targeted. As you can see in the article above, BMV is targeting ALL illegals, not targeting any racial or ethnic group. They are just trying to make sure that if you have a vehicle registered in Ohio, that it is done legally and the vehicle is being driven legally.

 

Would be cool to see a nice CR group, and others, show up at Westland Mall too and let them know we do not want illegals driving on our streets!!

 

Hopefully ICE/INS/USCIS is aware of this meeting also.

[Nitrousbird]

We can only wish the gov't would grow a backbone and deport these illegals. They won't, but we can wish at least.

 

For once the BMV is doing something useful, which is a nice change.

[Zeppelin]

Well, you can bet these community organizations meeting will be getting with their local government officials about what BMV is trying to accomplish. Be sure you guys do the same. We need to have a louder voice than they do. Let them know you support the BMV's efforts regarding illegal immigration issues and ohio driver license and vehicle registration issuance. Only those in this country legally should be able to get either issued.

 

 

Below are the links to the Ohio Senate and Ohio House of Representatives websites if you want to e-mail your state government representation.

http://www.house.state.oh.us/

http://www.ohiosenate.gov/

 

Sorry if this turned a bit political. Mods, move thread if you think this should be moved.