« Law - "Rule Changes Proposed for Research on Humans" | Main | Law - "Online Poker Business: A 'Busted Flush'? Business Is Still Good Despite Recent Ban On American Customers " »

Monday, July 25, 2011

Ind. Gov't. - "BMV fights document deception Eyes rules to stem flow of false titles, registrations"

Rebecca S. Green of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette had this long story Sunday that reports:

As fast as the state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles has been closing loopholes to make obtaining fraudulent documents more difficult, those interested in getting such paperwork are finding new ways to do so.

A recent federal case filed in South Bend reveals a scheme in which illegal immigrants were provided with genuine, but fraudulently obtained, motor vehicle titles. * * *

In 2007, the Indiana BMV began verifying all Social Security numbers with federal agencies, making it harder for people to obtain identification and registration documents using a fake number.

In January, the BMV started using a new license plate registration procedure. No longer can Hoosiers walk into a BMV branch and walk out with a plate or renewal sticker; documents are now mailed to the owner’s home, making it more likely the vehicle is registered to the person with title to the vehicle.

Corporations and limited liability companies, or LLCs, do not have Social Security numbers but usually have an [easily obtained] employer identification number issued by the IRS.

That is the background. The long story continues, detailing the scheme that led to the federal indictment:
Employees at BMV offices in Mishawaka and South Bend noticed over the past few months that representatives of a business called Servicios Mi Tierra in South Bend and Elkhart were coming into BMV branches to obtain titles and registrations for 10 to 20 vehicles every week.

The documents presented to BMV officials included power of attorney documents, which granted the Servicios representatives the right to act on behalf of other individuals, and IRS paperwork showing an LLC or corporation that almost always included the full name of a person, according to court documents.

The story concludes with a section on efforts to close the loopholes.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 25, 2011 08:41 AM
Posted to Indiana Government