ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – A neighbor’s call reporting a stolen license plate led police to a man they say was making fake drivers licenses which he would then sell to illegal immigrants.
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Sherie Ochoa called police on Sunday around noon after she noticed her license plate had been stolen. Ochoa told police she believed her neighbor, Richard Howell, 58, may be to blame.
Ochoa told News 13 that while Howell had not been living in the area long, every since he had come around she’d noticed some suspicious behavior.
“There was also a stolen truck out here and we knew where the stolen truck came from,” Ochoa said.
After cops ran the plate of the truck they discovered it was indeed stolen and the person seen driving the truck had often visited the apartment rented by Howell.
Police found a lot more than just stolen license plates inside Howell’s apartment.
Investigators say they found 34 stolen ids, credit cards and social security cards.
APD officer Tasia Martinez tells News 13 Howell was using the driver’s licenses to sell to illegal immigrants.
Howell told police he retrieved the ids, credit cards and social security cards from dumpster divers.
Howell was arrested and charged with 34 counts of identity thefts, three counts of forgery and three counts of altering a license. If he linked to the stolen plates and truck he could face even more charges.
Police are working to notify Howell’s victims.
Howell has been involved in this type of activity, between 1995 and 1997 he was convicted of twelve counts of forgery.
