9 Undocumented Immigrants Arrested for ID Theft

JACKSON, Miss. — Nine people identified as undocumented immigrants have been arrested in Raymond  for identity theft, announced Attorney General Jim Hood today.

The arrests took place Thursday at the American DairyCo plant in Edwards after an investigation by the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division as a member of the Homeland Security Investigations Task Force.

Those arrested and charged with fraudulent use of identity are:

Eduardo Lopez-Cardona, 22

Irvin Mejia-Saavedra, 26

Ramiro Saniago-Monilo, 25

Guillermo Garcia-Cruz, 39

Ludin Maudiel Hernandez-Vasquez, 25

Porfirio Rodriguez-Jimenez , 37

Elvir Molina-Ramirez , 40

Carlos Benigno Garcia-Perez, 20

Juan Jose Chacon-Ramirez, 34

The defendants are alleged to have purchased fraudulent social security cards.

“This case is a great example of the significance of our federal partnerships,” said Attorney General Jim Hood. “We appreciate our great working relationship with Homeland Security Investigations”.

“Fraudulent documents threaten our nation’s security by making it easier for criminals to hide in plain sight and commit a range of offenses,” said Jerry Templet, Acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge of HSI New Orleans. “Further, stolen identity documents create a potential nightmare scenario in which citizens could be held responsible for criminal acts committed by aliens possessing fraudulent identity documents in their names. This investigation shows HSI and its state partners will continue to investigate and seek prosecution of these cases wherever they occur.”

Officials with the company where the defendants worked cooperated with officials.

The defendants were booked into the Raymond Detention Center and are being held on a $250,000 bond. Once the state charges are resolved, the defendants will be released to ICE custody.

The case was investigated by Special Agent John Rackley of Homeland Security Investigations and Bo Luckey with the Attorney Generals Office Consumer Protection Division, assigned to the HSI Task Force. The case will be prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Patrick Beasley.

As with all cases, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.