FRESNO - A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment today against Elfego Alcala, age 46; Aida Corona, age 37; Tamilene Cisneros, age 48; and Lupita Cisneros, charging them with conspiracy, production and transfer of false identification documents, and fraud and misuse of visas, United States Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.
According to court documents, from approximately February through August of 2018, in Tulare County and Visalia, the defendants conspired to manufacture and sell false identification documents, including social security cards and green cards. During the relevant time period, the defendants allegedly arranged for the production and sale of green cards and social security cards to a confidential informant on two occasions.
This case was the product of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorney Laura D. Withers is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.