Man Sentenced for Helping to Sell 25,000 Fake IDs Near University of Virginia Campus

Prosecutors say ring sold more than 25,000 fake driver's licenses

A New Jersey man will spend 60 days in jail for his role in a Virginia-based fake identity operation that, prosecutors say, was responsible for selling 25,000 fake IDs near the campus of the University of Virginia.

Michael DelRio, 20, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to commit identification document fraud. DelRio, of Edison, New Jersey, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville.

DelRio also must serve four months on home monitoring after he completes the jail term.

Three co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to the same charge as well as aggravated identity theft. Federal prosecutors say they produced and sold more than 25,000 fake driver's licenses out of a home they shared near U.Va.

As part of the scheme, some U.Va. students were paid commissions for referring other students interested in getting fake licenses.

But students might not have been the only ones purchasing the IDs.

"Counterfeit identity documents, like the ones produced by this ring, can be used by criminals, enabling them to mask their identities and operate with ease in the United States," Scot Rittenberg, acting special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations, told NBC29.

Prosecutors say DelRio was paid $15,000 to streamline a website for the fake ID business.

"Mr. DelRio played a significant role in perpetuating a high-tech and sophisticated scheme to produce and sell high-quality false identification documents all across the nation," United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy said, NBC29 reported. "He worked to develop a web-based interface for potential customers that, if deployed, would have made the criminal enterprise even more lucrative than it was."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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