Sales of legitimate ID papers a less-known part of illegal immigration problem

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

HARLINGEN, Texas — Asked by a federal judge why she sold her birth certificate, Rosie Medellin said she needed a few bucks and didn't really think it through. Bobby Joe Flores said he sold his ID documents to buy drugs. Margarita Moya and her son did it to raise money for medicine for a loved one.

Their documents were destined for illegal immigrants.

In all, seven defendants pleaded guilty in Corpus Christi this past week to charges of selling their birth certificates and Social Security cards for $100 each. Seven other defendants pleaded guilty to buying or reselling those documents as part of a ring that sold documents to illegal immigrants seeking jobs in Dodge City, Kansas.

The federal government's attention has been on stolen or fabricated identity documents, and officials say they know little about people who sell their own legitimate documents.