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December 3, 2008 3:48:48 PM CST

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Passport Frauds Used Identities of Deceased

Posted Sep 17, 08 3:32 PM CDT in US,  Crime & Courts 

(Newser) – More than 100 people stole the identities of dead people to cover up their immigration status, military desertion or drunken-driving convictions, federal authorities say after an investigation called “Operation Deathmatch.” Some of the accused even hid their true selves from spouses and children, and had been using the identities for decades, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Authorities have seized $650,000 in cash, guns and more than 80 fake passports made from the birth certificates of deceased citizens. Among the 112 charged are a Japanese acrobat who remains a fugitive; a 16-year Navy deserter; and an illegal resident arrested while working at an immigration law firm.

Source San Francisco Chronicle

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Officials allege 112 people used fake passports to evade the law.   (Shutter stock)
The feds' "Operation Deathmatch" targeted criminals who created fake passports, often using birth certificates of dead people.   (KRT Photos)
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California • FBI • fraud • illegal immigrant • identity theft


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