Illegal Alien’s Fraud Fueled Crimes, Prompted State Reforms
Emmanuel Padilla Reyes, 35, an illegal immigrant, was sentenced to five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $22 million in restitution for orchestrating a nationwide scheme selling over 550,000 fraudulent Texas paper license plates.
The scam, which used fake dealerships and stolen identities, enabled crimes like armed robberies and drive-by shootings, including a fatal crash linked to a truck bearing one of Reyes’ tags.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks emphasized the human toll, citing testimony from a victim’s family.
Reyes’ co-conspirators, including fugitive Leidy Areli Hernandez Lopez, were also convicted.
The case spurred Texas to overhaul its temporary tag system, effective July 1.
“This scheme endangered countless lives,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Reyes faces deportation post-sentence.
The FBI, with local law enforcement, led the investigation.
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