LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — A federal jury in Las Cruces has convicted a Chinese national of running a ring that helped immigrants suspected of being in the country illegally get New Mexico driver's licenses.
After about three hours of deliberations, the jury found Hai Gan of The Colony, Texas, guilty of all 64 counts of fraud and other charges stemming from allegations he helped the immigrants fraudulently obtain the licenses.
Gan is one of several people who have been prosecuted in recent years for running such rings in New Mexico, which is one of just a few states that let residents get driver's license regardless of their immigration status.
Prosecutors say Gan bought four houses in New Mexico, then charged people more than $3,000 each so they could list the addresses as residences on their license applications.