A supervisor in Texas' drivers license division accused of conspiring to provide identification documents to illegal immigrants was arrested Friday, federal prosecutors said.
Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Alvaro Ivan Adame, 40, of Wichita Falls, was indicted on a charge of conspiracy to transfer unlawfully issued identification documents, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Adame, who has worked for DPS since 1988, has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the investigation. He was stationed in Wichita Falls and had worked at a Dallas drivers license office for several years, agency spokesman Tom Vinger said.
It was not immediately known if Adame had an attorney who could comment on his case. He was scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate Friday afternoon.
An indictment unsealed Friday alleges that Adame conspired with others to exchange illegally obtained New Mexico identification cards and drivers licenses for Texas ones.
Court documents in the case of a co-defendent allege the conspiracy included taking illegal immigrants from the Dallas area to News Mexico to obtain identity documents. They were then brought back to Dallas to transfer their New Mexico documents to Texas ones at the DPS office Adame oversaw, according to the documents.
The conspiracy started in January 2008 and continued into January 2009, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
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Since October 2008, DPS has imposed stricter requirements to obtain Texas identification cards and driver's licenses.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force led the investigation, with assistance from DPS.
If convicted, Adame faces 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Martinez, 21, of Dallas, has agreed to plead guilty for his role in the conspiracy.
