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Ex-County Worker Pleads Guilty To License Scam

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By ELAINE SILVESTRINI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 7, 2007

TAMPA - A former Hillsborough County employee pleaded guilty this afternoon to federal charges for her part in a scheme that helped scores of illegal immigrants get false drivers' licenses.

Deisy Oropesa's voice cracked a few times during a hearing where U.S. Magistrate Mary Scriven reviewed an agreement in which Oropesa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and three counts of theft of honest services. The theft charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, while the conspiracy carries up to five years.

Oropesa's attorney, Wade Whidden, has said he hopes to persuade District Court Judge Steven D. Merryday not to send his client to prison. Whidden said he thinks the sentencing range will be two to seven years in prison.

Oropesa had no comment after today's court hearing.

Orapesa worked as a senior customer service representative in the county tax collector's office, where her responsibilities included issuing drivers' licenses.

According to her plea agreement, the scheme involved a person not legally entitled to a Florida driver's license, a middleman and Oropesa.

The person would meet with a middleman, often in the parking lot in front of the office where Orepesa worked at 6283 W. Waters Ave., the agreement states.

The license-seeker would pay $1,000 to $1,200, with Oropesa's cut being $200, the agreement states. After being paid, the middleman would tell the buyer which line Oropesa would be serving and what code phrase to give her, for example, "Hello, Laura."

The middleman would tell Oropesa 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. When given the code phrase, Oropesa would circumvent computer safeguards and create a false drivers license.

Between February 2006 and November 2006, Oropesa collected about $25,000 issuing as many as 125 fake licenses.

Reporter Elaine Silvestrini can be reached at (813) 259-7837 or esilvestrini@tampatrib.com.

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