10-25-04 -- Joyce, Lauren -- Guilty Plea -- News Release

Tenth MVC Employee Admits Taking Cash to Fraudulently Produce Driver's Licenses

NEWARK - Another employee of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission pleaded guilty today, admitting that she conspired to unlawfully produce driver's licenses for which she received up to $150 each, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced.

Lauren Joyce, 32, of Union Township, Union County, admitted before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls to participating in a scheme with other employees of the MVC, as well as non-employees, to produce driver's licenses for individuals not otherwise entitled to receive them.

Joyce, who worked as a MVC customer service representative at the Springfield office, admitted to processing driver permits and licenses without checking for identification or ever having spoken with the respective applicants. Joyce admitted to fraudulently producing more than six such licenses between May, 2000 and January, 2001 and to receiving between $50 and $150 for each license she helped to fraudulently generate.

When she is sentenced by Judge Walls, Joyce faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian R. Howe. Judge Walls set sentencing for January 31.

Joyce remains free on $10,000 bail. She was originally charged in a one-count Indictment and arrested on Sept. 23, 2004.

Joyce is now the tenth MVC employee since January to plead guilty in connection with the driver's license fraud scheme, in which employees of the state agency and non-employees received hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce and procure licenses for individuals who were not entitled to such licenses.

The investigation of other MVC employees and non-employees continues.

Others pleading guilty so far are:

• Tonya Horn, 33, formerly of Scotch Plains and now of Easton, Pa., a service representative of the Springfield MVC office, admitted that she processed driver permits and licenses without ever having spoken with the respective applicants; she received between $100 and $150 for each of more than 100 fraudulent licenses.

• Marcella Lewis, 36, of Plainfield, an examination technician at the MVC office in Elizabeth, admitted to permitting certain individuals to take multiple written examinations for driver's licenses for other individuals, and receiving $150 for each of more than 100 fraudulent licenses.

• Sheilina D. Moore, 28, of Clementon, a customer service representative at the MVC Mount Holly office, admitted receiving between $100 and $200 for each of more than 100 bogus licenses she helped produce.

• Linda Carlo, 41, of Newark, a customer service representative at the MVC Springfield office, admitted receiving $100 for each of more than 100 bogus licenses she helped produce.

• Anita Feathers, 53, of Sloatzburg, NY, also a customer service representative at the MVC Springfield office, admitted receiving $100 for each bogus license she helped produce.

• Barbara Carter, 52, of Roselle Park, a customer service representative at DMV Plus, a private agency in Springfield, admitted receiving $500 for each bogus license and MVC identification card she conspired to produce with MVC employees at the Springfield office.

• Rita Peterson, 40, of Newark, a customer service representative at the MVC Springfield office, admitted receiving $100 for each bogus license she helped produce.

• Lori Awan, 39, of North Plainfield, a customer service representative at the MVC Springfield office, admitted receiving $100 for each fraudulent license she helped generate.

• Linda M. Love, 44, of Willingboro, an examination technician at the MVC office in Mount Holly, admitted to having fraudulently generated approximately 750 driver's licenses and receiving approximately $300 for each bogus license she helped produce.

• Juvenal Galarza, a/k/a "Uncle Johnny," 65, of Belleville, an owner of a driving school in Harrison, admitted to having fraudulently transferred between 25 and 99 driver's licenses to illegal aliens and to receiving cash payments up to $2,000 for each such license; Galarza stated that he made cash payments of $100 to $300 to each MVC employee who assisted in fraudulently generating a particular license.

All of those defendants await sentencing. Under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, Judge Walls will determine Joyce's actual sentence based on a formula that takes into account the severity and characteristics of the offense and Joyce's criminal history, if any. Parole has been abolished in the federal system. Under Sentencing Guidelines, defendants who are given custodial terms must serve nearly all that time.

Christie credited Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Joseph Billy, Jr., for their work in developing the cases.

The Government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian R. Howe of the U.S. Attorney's Special Prosecutions Unit in Newark.

Defense Attorney: John S. Furlong, Esq. West Trenton