Man who sold fake IDs throughout Central Kentucky pleads guilty to federal charges
A man accused of selling fake Social Security cards in Central Kentucky while being monitored by federal agents has pleaded guilty to federal crimes.
Tomas Leal-Paez pleaded guilty to possessing a counterfeit permanent resident card and possessing a counterfeit Social Security card in federal court Friday. Leal-Paez was formerly indicted on four counts of the same charges in June.
Leal-Paez sold fake IDs, fake drivers’ licenses and “green cards” to “undocumented immigrants, primarily from Mexico,” according to an affidavit filed into court records.
The plea agreement references two transactions in Madison and Fayette counties where Leal-Paez sold permanent resident cards and Social Security cards to confidential informants in January and April 2023.
Federal investigators tracked Leal-Paez since 2019 after they arrested his family member for using the fake documents to obtain employment. Some identification cards were purchased in 2016 — three years before the investigation began, according to court documents.
Over the course of four years, the FBI used the family member to text, call and set up meetings to exchange documents for money with Leal-Paez, whose true identity was unknown to investigators throughout.
Agents were able to determine another phone number Lael-Paez was in contact with to have the cards and documents “habitually” manufactured. The number belonged to another man “readily available” to Leal-Paez.
Leal-Paez faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a fine of $500,000 and supervised release for six years. The conviction could affect his immigration status because he is not a citizen of the United States.
Leal-Paez is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 11.
This story was originally published September 11, 2023 at 11:59 AM.
