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Former County Tax Worker Gets Prison In License Scam

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By THOMAS W. KRAUSE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 23, 2008

TAMPA - A former county employee who acknowledged a role in a scheme that helped scores of illegal immigrants secure driver's licenses was sentenced Tuesday to two years and three months in federal prison and then three years of supervision.

The sentence was significantly less than the federal guidelines, which called for 4 1/2 to six years in prison. Still, the sentence was harsher that her defense attorney had hoped. Wade Whidden argued that house arrest would be sufficient for Deisy Oropesa, 31, a mother of two young children.

"I think the judge's position was, as a crime, it was extremely serious in nature and there needs to be a public deterrent," Whidden said after the hearing.

Although U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday acknowledged Oropesa was unlikely to re-offend, he said the public needed the message that this crime will be taken seriously, Whidden said.

Oropesa worked as a senior customer service representative for the Hillsborough County tax collector. She was hired in June 2000. The crimes, which included approval for about 125 false driver's licenses, took place from February through November 2006.

In a plea agreement, Oropesa acknowledged she worked with illegal immigrants and a middleman. The middleman would wait in the parking lot of the tax collector's West County branch on Waters Avenue. Those who wanted a driver's license would pay $1,000 to $1,200.

The buyers were instructed to go to Oropesa's window and use a code phrase. She would get $200 to approve the false license using stolen Social Security numbers.

A co-conspirator, Gloria Bustamante, has been identified but has not been located. She is thought to have acted a recruiter to find illegal immigrants in need of licenses. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office said investigators continue the search for Bustamante.

Another suspected cohort, Carlos Roldan, was arrested on similar charges but was never prosecuted, Whidden said. Instead, Roldan was sentenced to 10 months in prison on unrelated gun charges. Because he is a Colombian national, he will be deported.

Oropesa, who has a 6-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter, was born and raised in Tampa.
Whidden congratulated her for the way she handled herself in the case.

"She took responsibility for her conduct and apologized to all parties: the government, the state, the tax collector and her family," Whidden said.

"She had the courage not to ask the court for leniency. She asked for a reasonable sentence."

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

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