Four Held on Suspicion of Making Bogus Documents
Four men were arrested Saturday in Santa Ana on suspicion of manufacturing government documents in a sting operation that resulted in the seizure of phony government stamps, blank Social Security cards and INS documents.
Officers seized camera equipment, photo duplicators, laminators, typewriters and various government stamps at a West Camile Street home.
Police said they confiscated more than 1,700 blank U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service cards as well as Social Security cards, drivers’ licenses and fake auto insurance cards.
Police described the home as a “government-document-manufacturing mill” and put the street value of the seized items at more than $50,000.
Officers from the police department’s Southeast Task Force had been conducting an undercover operation because of the proliferation of false government documents being sold in the area, said Santa Ana police Sgt. Steve Alegre, watch commander.
“This is an ongoing problem . . . the sale of false government documents,” Alegre said.
The men were not initially identified because the police investigation was continuing.
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