Knoxville Couple Sentenced For Producing More Than 100 Fake ID For Illegal Immigrants

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The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued sentencing for a Knoxville couple on Friday after the pair pleaded guilty to producing fake IDs and driver’s licenses for over 100 individuals who did not meet the qualifications for them.

According to the DOJ, 49-year-old Cheryl Huff served as a district manager for the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security in the Greater Knoxville area. Huff was authorized to issue licenses and identification cards through the Driver Service Center.

The charges against the couple state that Huff’s husband, 51-year-old Mario Paz-Mejia, would charge $2,500 to obtain a license or ID card for individuals who were not Tennessee residents or citizens of the United States.

Huff would also assist them in obtaining falsified documents to verify residency and citizenship as those are required to get a driver’s license in Tennessee. These documents included fake lease agreements, fraudulent birth certificates, and fake social security cards to make it appear that the illegal immigrants were actually legal in the country. He would then work with Huff to get them the needed Tennessee ID or license.

Reports give one example in which Paz-Mejia texted Huff in June 2021 with a name, birth date, and other personal information to be used and asked her to “check that please.” She replied by saying, “All of these are not on file. They’re good.”

The two managed to process more than 100 fake driver’s licenses and ID cards before being caught. Driver’s Service Center employees notified authorities of suspicious activity, and an investigation was opened. Huff and Paz-Mejia pleaded guilty in December 2023.

Huff was given a sentence of 37 months in prison, while Paz-Mejia was given 30 months. Both will serve an additional year of supervised release following their sentences. The pair were facing the possibility of up to fifteen years in federal prison and a quarter of a million in fines.

A photo ID such as a driver’s license issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security is one of the eligible forms of ID that is required to vote in state elections.

Anyone wishing to vote, whether early or on Election Day must present either federal or state identification that contains the voter’s name and photograph.

There is no word, at this point, if there will be any efforts to track down the individuals the couple produced fake IDs for.