Former Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison for Providing Fraudulent Driver’s Licenses to Applicants Who Paid a Fee

Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Decide Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Marion Rose Payne, age 55, of Harwood, Maryland, on August 15, 2022, to fifteen months in federal jail, adopted by three years of supervised launch, for conspiracy to provide and switch identification paperwork with out lawful authority, particularly, Maryland driver’s licenses.  Decide Chuang additionally ordered Payne to forfeit $25,000, which constitutes the proceeds of Payne’s participation within the legal conspiracy.

The sentence was introduced by United States Lawyer for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Particular Agent in Cost James C. Harris of Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) Baltimore.

In accordance with her plea settlement, from no less than July 2015 by way of March 2016, Payne and Co-Conspirator 2 had been each workers of the Maryland Motor Automobile Administration (MVA) and labored within the Largo, Maryland MVA department workplace.  Payne’s duties on the MVA included the issuance of Maryland driver’s licenses. 

As detailed in her plea settlement, Payne, co-Conspirator 2 and Warner Antonio Portillo conspired to provide and switch Maryland driver’s licenses with out lawful authority.  Particularly, Portillo and others met with potential Maryland driver’s license candidates who had been keen to pay cash to acquire a driver’s license illegally, sometimes as a result of the candidates had been unlawful aliens with out lawful authorized standing in the US or had been in any other case unable to acquire a lawfully issued driver’s license.  The candidates paid Portillo and others between $800 and $5,000 in money for every fraudulently issued Maryland driver’s license.

Portillo and others assisted the candidates to journey to the Largo department of the MVA and directed the candidates to Payne’s or Co-Conspirator 2’s workstation, the place candidates obtained Maryland driver’s licenses produced by Payne or Co-Conspirator 2 with out lawful authority.  Payne knew that the paperwork utilized in assist of the driving force’s licenses had been fraudulent.  In change for the improperly issued driver’s licenses, Portillo paid Payne no less than $25,000 in money and items.  The conspiracy resulted within the illegal manufacturing and switch of no less than 276 Maryland driver’s licenses. 

Warner Antonio Portillo, age 37, of Manassas, Virginia, beforehand pleaded responsible to his function within the conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.

United States Lawyer Erek L. Barron counseled HSI for its work within the investigation and thanked the Maryland Motor Automobile Administration Investigation and Safety Companies for its help.  Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Lawyer Kelly O. Hayes and Particular Assistant U.S. Lawyer Brian Mund, who prosecuted the case.

For extra info on the Maryland U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace, its priorities, and assets out there to assist the group, please go to www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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