GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Edgidio Vasquez-Mencho, 41, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced to 6 months in custody for conspiracy to transfer false identification documents.U.S. Attorney VerHey said, “Vasquez-Mencho deserved to be prosecuted and punished. It is bad enough that he has repeatedly violated our immigration laws by crossing the border without permission. Worse than that, once he got here, he operated an illegal document business that allowed others like him to illegally obtain employment and claim taxpayer-supported public services. This conduct must stop.” Vasquez-Mencho is the second of three defendants charged with and convicted of participating in a scheme by Guatemalans illegally present in the United States to advertise, manufacture, and sell fraudulent Social Security and Permanent Resident cards, as well as other false identification documents, to other persons illegally residing in the Grand Rapids area during 2024 and 2025. The conspirators profited by receiving payments for the counterfeit documents, and the recipients benefitted by using the documents to obtain employment and access to services intended for citizens and immigrants legally in the United States. Vasquez-Mencho’s role was primarily to deliver the counterfeit documents to and collect payments from the purchasers.This is the third time Vasquez-Mencho was found in United States illegally. The first time he was located here, he was allowed to voluntarily depart and the second time, he was removed by immigration authorities to Guatemala. After the completion of his sentence, he will again be removed to his native Guatemala.“This sentencing sends a clear message: Homeland Security Investigations will aggressively pursue and dismantle criminal organizations that traffic in fraudulent identification documents and exploit our immigration system,” said HSI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “We remain steadfast in our mission to protect our communities, uphold the integrity of our nation’s laws, and ensure that those who undermine public safety face the full consequences of their actions.”The Grand Rapids office of Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Daniels prosecuted it. This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Michigan Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice