Two Philadelphia residents were arrested Wednesday and a third is being sought on charges of participating in a multistate identity-theft ring, federal authorities said.
Arelis Abreu Ramos, age unknown, and Luis Raphael Rodriguez, 40, both living in Philadelphia, were arrested Wednesday. After hearings in U.S. District Court, both men were detained pending removal to Puerto Rico.
A third Philadelphia resident, Angel A. Lugo Nieves, 40, was also indicted. He is being sought by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
An indictment unsealed Wednesday outlines an alleged conspiracy, from April 2009 until December, that stretched across 15 states and Puerto Rico. Conspirators transferred the identities of Puerto Rican U.S. citizens, with Social Security cards, Puerto Rican birth certificates, and other identification documents, to undocumented workers and others residing in the United States, the indictment said. - Staff report