10-27-04 -- Asencio, Rebecca Rivera -- Sentencing -- News Release

Social Security Administration Employee Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Selling False Social Security Cards

TRENTON - A Social Security Administration employee was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison today for illegally selling Social Security cards to illegal aliens, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson also ordered Rebecca Rivera Asencio, 33, of Trenton, to serve three years of supervised release upon the completion of her prison sentence and to pay $500 in fines, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Norv McAndrew.

On July 16, Asencio and two middlemen, Jorge Galeano, 30, of Trenton, and Ronald D. Hoppe, 32, of Hightstown, pleaded guilty to one-count Informations charging conspiracy to possess with the intent to unlawfully transfer five or more identification documents, namely, Social Security cards.

At her plea hearing, Asencio stated that she was employed as a development clerk with the Social Security Administration. She admitted that her job responsibilities included processing applications for replacement Social Security cards, but not original applications. Furthermore, Asencio admitted that after she agreed with Galeano in September 2002 to process illegal aliens' applications in exchange for cash, she processed approximately 25 original Social Security card applications between September 2002 and February 2003, for individuals who were neither U.S. citizens nor legal aliens.

At their plea hearings, both Galeano and Hoppe admitted that in September 2000 they agreed with each other to approach illegal aliens and offer genuine Social Security cards in exchange for money. Hoppe admitted that he had an inside contact, Elizabeth Rivera, 36, of Camden, who worked as a customer service representative at the Social Security Administration in Trenton, and agreed to process Social Security applications based upon false identification documents. Once Rivera processed the applications, genuine Social

Security cards were generated and sent to the addresses listed on the applications. Hoppe admitted that he paid Rivera cash in exchange for her processing the applications. Galeano admitted that beginning in September 2002 he agreed to operate the same scheme with Asencio.

Galeano and Hoppe both admitted that Galeano collected money and biographical information from illegal aliens in the Mercer County area and then gave that information and a portion of the cash to Hoppe, who passed the information on to Rivera and retained a portion of the cash as a fee. Galeano also admitted that on more than 70 occasions between September 2000 and April 2003, he passed biographical information from illegal aliens to Hoppe.

Hoppe admitted that he gave cash to Rivera in exchange for her processing previously completed applications of the illegal aliens. Hoppe admitted that Rivera processed the applications without the required forms of identification and the applicant being present.

Rivera, who was charged in a separate Complaint on Sept. 29, 2003, is charged with conspiring with others to possess with intent to illegally transfer more than five false identification documents. The case against Rivera is pending.

On Oct. 16, Judge Thompson sentenced Galeano to 14 months in prison and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release upon the completion of his prison sentence and to pay $2,000 in fines.

Hoppe is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov.10, at 2 p.m.

Parole has been abolished in the federal system. Under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, defendants who are given custodial terms must serve nearly all of that time.

Christie credited Special Agents of the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, New York Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Ryan, and IRS Criminal Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia J. Haynes.

The Government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norv McAndrew of the Criminal Division in Trenton.

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Defense Attorneys:

Hal Haveson, Esq. Princeton, for Rebecca Rivera Asencio

James P. Murphy, Princeton, for Jorge Galeano

John D. Caruso, Esq. Newark, for Ronald David Hoppe