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License scheme discovered
A Tax Collector's Office worker is accused of selling fake documents for $200 apiece.
By ABBIE VANSICKLE
Published November 10, 2006
TAMPA - Deisy Oropesa abused her position in the Hillsborough County Tax Collector's Office by selling drivers' licenses to people without proper documentation, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. She told investigators she was part of an organized scheme to peddle drivers' licenses for $200 apiece, court records show. Oropesa, 30, was arrested Wednesday on 174 counts of unlawful compensation for official behavior, official misconduct and driver's license fraud, jail records show. Investigators say Oropesa, a senior customer service representative for the tax collector, made $25,000 by selling the licenses. "You should know that our office has zero tolerance for something like this," Tax Collector Doug Belden told reporters from a prepared statement. Oropesa's actions raise concerns because she was altering official records, making it appear that people were American citizens, Belden said. Fake driver's license records can lead to citizenship status for someone who is not legally in the country, he said. He declined to go into further detail about problems caused by the fraud. Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Larry Coggins also declined to talk about the case, citing an ongoing investigation. The probe began in September, when tax officials noticed problems with Oropesa's transactions, Belden said. She worked in the driver's license section at the tax collector's west county office, located on Waters Avenue. Tax officials notified the Florida Highway Patrol, which began a criminal investigation. Oropesa resigned from the office just before she was arrested and taken to jail. Law enforcement and tax officials declined to comment on a motive, citing a pending criminal investigation. Before her arrest, Oropesa had no criminal record, state records show. She went through a background check before she was hired, and the check raised no concerns, Belden said. She was being held at the county jail Thursday evening on $663,500 bail. Abbie VanSickle can be reached at 813 226-3373 or vansickle@sptimes.com.
[Last modified November 10, 2006, 01:01:35]
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by ladylove
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11/10/06 04:50 PM
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she looks good in that orange suite
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