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Former Hillsborough County Worker Admits Role In Fraud Scheme

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By THOMAS W.  KRAUSE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 6, 2007

TAMPA - A former county employee filed a plea agreement today admitting her role in a fraud scheme that authorities say helped scores of illegal immigrants secure false driver's licenses.

Deisy Oropesa, 31, will enter the plea in open court Wednesday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Mary Scriven. She faces two to seven years in federal prison. The sentence will be up to Scriven.

Prosecutors have said they will ask for prison time at the low end of the sentencing range. Oropesa's attorney, Wade Whidden, said he will ask for no prison time.

Whidden would not say whether Oropesa will testify against others charged in the scheme or whether she would provide more information to authorities. Because of the way the investigation proceeded, Whidden said, it is unclear whether she has new information.

"The issue is going to be whether she is capable of [cooperating], not whether she would," he said.

According to the plea agreement, Oropesa admits that she worked with illegal immigrants and a middleman.

The middleman would wait in the parking lot of the Hillsborough County Tax Collector's West County branch at 6283 W. Waters Ave. Those who wanted an illegal license would pay the middleman $1,000 to $1,200.

The buyers were instructed to go to Oropesa's window and use a code phrase, such as "Hello Laura," according to the plea agreement. Oropesa, at the time, was a senior customer service representative who had worked at the office since June 2000.

The middleman would let Oropesa know in advance how many people she could expect that day by telling her in code, for example: "Expect two cheeseburgers today," the plea agreement states.

Oropesa would get $200 to approve a fraudulent driver's license application using stolen Social Security numbers, according to the plea agreement. Between February 2006 and November 2006, Oropesa collected about $25,000 issuing as many as 125 fake licenses.

Oropesa was arrested last year on more than 170 state charges. She was released on $25,000 bail.

The Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office deferred prosecution to federal authorities.

Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached at (813)259-7698 or tkrause@tampatrib.com.

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