RICHMOND, Virginia -- The government says 22 people have been charged with operating a violent, Mexico-based enterprise that sold fake documents to illegal immigrants in several states.
An indictment released Thursday by the U.S. attorney's office in Richmond, Virginia, charges the 22 with counts including racketeering, money laundering and kidnapping.
According to the indictment, the highly organized ring used cells in a number of states to produce and sell driver's licenses, Social Security cards, work documents and other bogus documentation.
Prosecutors say the cells sent more than $1 million to Mexico from January 2008 to November 2010.
The government says cells were operating in Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Arkansas, Ohio, North Carolina, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee.
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