2 Charged With Giving DMV False Documents

Department of Motor Vehicles investigators working undercover in the Arleta field office booked two men on felony charges and cited 24 other people for allegedly presenting false proof of insurance, authorities said Friday.

Posing as waiting customers and DMV technicians, investigators reviewed suspicious documents submitted by 72 applicants over a three-day period ending Tuesday.

Gustavo Aranda Ruiz, of Mexico, applied for a commercial driver’s license and was arrested after completing the commercial driving test. He was charged with allegedly using false documents to conceal his true citizenship, attempting to record a false document and making a false affidavit, all violations of the California Penal Code.

Ruiz was originally held on $80,000 bail, then released on Tuesday. Subsequent information led to a warrant being issued for his arrest, and he remains at large, authorities said.

The second felony suspect, whose name was not immediately available, was booked on similar charges involving a regular driver’s license, but he has since been released on bail.

The 24 suspects cited for misdemeanor charges primarily involving alleged counterfeit vehicle insurance documents were not taken into custody. None of the fake transactions was processed, authorities said.

The undercover investigations are being conducted statewide, stemming from the proliferation of fraudulent birth certificates, Social Security cards and other documents being used in attempts to acquire driver’s licenses and ID cards.

“The field officers do the best they can. In many cases they don’t have the expertise [to recognize the fake documents],” said Vito Scattaglia, Valley area commander of DMV investigations.

Similar undercover operations are scheduled for Van Nuys, Glendale and other area cities.

“We’re planning on doing this on a pretty regular basis in the Valley area,” Scattaglia said.