Leader of major fake ID ring gets 25-year sentence

By Larry O'Dell

RICHMOND

The leader of a multistate fake-identification ring that protected its lucrative turf with threats, beatings and at least one slaying was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in federal prison.

The sentence was half what prosecutors requested but seven months more than the upper end of federal sentencing guidelines. U.S. District Judge James Spencer said it was warranted because Israel Cruz Millan was the organization's leader and "his involvement in violence is clear."

After his release, Cruz Millan will be deported to his native Mexico.

Cruz Millan, 26, of Raleigh, N.C., pleaded guilty in November to racketeering, conspiracy to produce false identification documents and money laundering. Prosecutors said Cruz Millan used violence to punish subordinates who violated internal rules and to gain an advantage over competitors. One kidnapping and assault resulted in the death of a rival fake ID seller in Little Rock, Ark.

In court, prosecutors played a recording of an intercepted conference call Cruz Millan made to several associates so they could listen while a North Carolina subordinate who was caught stealing from the organization was beaten and repeatedly shocked with jumper cables hooked up to a car battery.

"The sentence and upward departure sends a strong message that we aren't going to tolerate this kind of violence associated with these organizations," said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent John Torres after the hearing. "The recording of the beating in North Carolina was chilling."

According to prosecutors, Cruz Millan supervised cell managers in 19 cities in Virginia, Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Tennessee. Those managers oversaw the production of false identification documents, including Social Security and permanent resident alien cards, and supervised "runners" who sold the bogus IDs to illegal immigrants for $150 to $250 per set.

U.S. Homeland Security investigator Pete Joseph testified that Cruz Millan, whose nickname "El Muerto" translates to "The Dead One," wired more than $1 million to his bosses in Mexico over three years. He described Cruz Millan as "a micromanager" who ran the Mexico-based ring's U.S. operations.

"He had his hand in all of it," Joseph said. "It was very clear from the beginning he was essentially the top guy in the United States, the CEO."

Two co-defendants who previously pleaded guilty were called as witnesses for Cruz Millan, who has insisted he had nothing to do with the Little Rock slaying. One testified there was never any talk in the organization about Cruz Millan ordering the assault, and the other said Cruz Millan's solution to dealing with competitors was to report them to police.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gill said evidence, including the pattern of thousands of cell phone calls between Cruz Millan and his associates, support the government's claim that nothing happened in the organization without the approval of its leader.

"He is all about terror," Gill said. "The pattern of violence is staggering, and he has shown no remorse whatsoever."

Cruz Millan's attorney, Atchuthan Sriskandarajah, said after the hearing that a sentence "in the high teens" would have been more appropriate.

He asked Spencer for a sentence below the guideline range, saying Millan "has sown some bad seeds" but was not responsible for the Arkansas killing.

"To say he is a monster with no chance of redemption is an unfair position by the government," Sriskandarajah said.

Cruz Millan apologized and said he hoped for an opportunity to complete his education, be a good husband and a father to his 5-year-old child. "If you give me one last opportunity I will not fail you," Cruz Millan said through an interpreter.

U.S. Atttorney Neil MacBride said in a statement after the hearing that the 25-year sentence "is just punishment for a savage leader who helped export crime and violence into the United States."

Thirty people were charged with participating in the ring. Twenty-six pleaded guilty, two are fugitives and one defendant's identity remains unknown.

Only one went to trial. A jury convicted Edy Oliverez-Jiminez of six counts, including kidnapping and murder in aid of racketeering in connection with the Little Rock slaying. He faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced March 2. Oliverez-Jiminez had relocated to Virginia Beach from Arkansas.

Pilot writer Lauren King contributed to this report.