ICE agents arrest man selling fraudulent resident alien cards

Syracuse man also tried to sell phony social security card

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE arrested 41 year-old Ariel Ruiz, of Syracuse after he agreed to sell fraudulent resident alien cards and social security cards to an undercover agent.

The arrest occurred yesterday in Batavia as Ruiz was in the process of delivering nine resident alien cards and nine social security cards to the undercover agent. After he was arrested agents found three additional resident alien cards and four additional social security cards. Ruiz has had his initial appearance in federal court in Buffalo and has been released on bond.

He is charged with possessing, manufacturing and selling counterfeit alien registration cards (18 USC Section 1546), social security cards (42 USC Section 408), and counterfeit documents in order to defraud the government (18 USC Section 1028). When he was arrested Ruiz told ICE agents that he is a pastor of the Iglesia Nueva Esperanza in Syracuse.

Now there's a good testimony for ya! -mm