Richmond man accused of participating in multistate fake ID ring pleads guilty

RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond, Virginia, man has pleaded guilty to participating in a sophisticated multistate fake identification ring.

Manuel Garcia-Rojas pleaded guilty to racketeering and attempted robbery Friday in U.S. District Court in Richmond. He will be sentenced July 31. Nine co-defendants are scheduled for trial June 2.

According to prosecutors, Garcia-Rojas was a "runner" for the Richmond cell of a fake ID enterprise based in Mexico that also had operations in Arkansas, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio and Rhode Island. A runner's job was to solicit illegal aliens as customers for phony documents, including Social Security cards and green cards.

Garcia-Rojas and three co-defendants were accused of trying to assault a rival fake ID maker and steal his equipment. Prosecutors say a police traffic stop thwarted the scheme.