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S. HRG. 108–388

THE ALIAS AMONG US: THE HOMELAND SECURITY

AND TERRORISM THREAT FROM DOCUMENT

FRAUD, IDENTITY THEFT, AND SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER MISUSE

HEARING

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

UNITED STATES SENATE

ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

SEPTEMBER 9, 2003

(

Printed for the use of the Committee on Finance

COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, Iowa, Chairman

ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah

DON NICKLES, Oklahoma

TRENT LOTT, Mississippi

OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine

JON KYL, Arizona

CRAIG THOMAS, Wyoming

RICK SANTORUM, Pennsylvania

BILL FRIST, Tennessee

GORDON SMITH, Oregon

JIM BUNNING, Kentucky

MAX BAUCUS, Montana

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER IV, West Virginia

TOM DASCHLE, South Dakota

JOHN BREAUX, Louisiana

KENT CONRAD, North Dakota

BOB GRAHAM, Florida

JAMES M. JEFFORDS (I), Vermont

JEFF BINGAMAN, New Mexico

JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts

BLANCHE L. LINCOLN, Arkansas

KOLAN DAVIS, Staff Director and Chief Counsel

JEFF FORBES, Democratic Staff Director

(II)

(III)

C O N T E N T S

OPENING STATEMENTS

Page

Grassley, Hon. Charles E., a U.S. Senator from Iowa, chairman, Committee

on Finance ............................................................................................................ 1

Baucus, Hon. Max, a U.S. Senator from Montana ................................................ 2

AGENCY WITNESSES

Convertino, Richard, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Michigan,

Department of Justice ......................................................................................... 7

Hutchinson, Hon. Asa, Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security, Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC ............................... 25

Cramer, Robert, Managing Director, accompanied by John Cooney, Assistant

Director, and Ron Malfi, Director, Office of Special Investigations, U.S.

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC ..................................................... 27

Lockhart, Hon. James, Deputy Commissioner, Social Security Administration,

Baltimore, MD ...................................................................................................... 30

Pistole, John S., Acting Assistant Director, Counterterrorism Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, DC .................................................. 31

O’Carroll, Patrick, Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, Office of

Inspector General, Social Security Administration, Baltimore, MD ................ 33

PUBLIC WITNESSES

Lewis, Linda, president and chief executive officer, American Association

of Motor Vehicle Administrators, Arlington, VA ............................................... 45

Douglas, Robert, chief executive officer, American Privacy Consultants, Oak

Creek, CO ............................................................................................................. 46

ALPHABETICAL LISTING AND APPENDIX MATERIAL

Baucus, Hon. Max:

Opening statement ........................................................................................... 2

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 53

Convertino, Richard:

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 7

Cramer, Robert:

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 27

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 55

Douglas, Robert:

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 46

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 67

Grassley, Hon. Charles E.:

Opening statement ........................................................................................... 1

Hmimssa, Youssef:

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 17

Summary of Interview of Youssef Hmimssa (in lieu of opening statement) .............................................................................................................. 109

Hutchinson, Hon. Asa:

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 25

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 124

Lewis, Linda:

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 45

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 134

Page

IV

Lockhart, Hon. James:

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 30

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 142

O’Carroll, Patrick:

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 33

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 154

Pistole, John S.:

Testimony .......................................................................................................... 31

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 161

(1)

THE ALIAS AMONG US: THE HOMELAND SECURITY AND TERRORISM THREAT FROM

DOCUMENT FRAUD, IDENTITY THEFT, AND

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER MISUSE

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2003

U.S. SENATE,

COMMITTEE ON FINANCE,

Washington, DC.

The hearing was convened, pursuant to notice, at 10:07 a.m., in

room SD–50, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Charles E.

Grassley (chairman of the committee) presiding.

Also present: Senators Kyl, Bunning, Baucus, and Lincoln.

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, A U.S.

SENATOR FROM IOWA, CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

The CHAIRMAN. I want to thank everybody for their patience and

for coming to this very important hearing.

This Finance Committee oversight hearing will examine the

problems of document fraud, identity theft, and Social Security

number misuse. We will also look into the implications for terrorism and for homeland security.

Identity theft and document fraud is about more than just bad

credit ratings or underage drinking. Identity theft and document

fraud are also a threat to our national security.

Two years ago, 19 hijackers attacked our Nation in a suicide plot

that killed thousands. These terrorists had lived among us, sometimes for years, leaving and entering the country repeatedly.

To plan, to plot, and carry out their mission, they needed valid

identification. These hijackers used a variety of means to obtain

identification, some of them even living under their very own

names.

Unfortunately, getting this cover was not much of a challenge because we know that they slipped on board airplanes and turned

those planes into missiles.

There are sleeper cells still lurking in this country, plotting to

harm us and providing support for future attacks. Some have been

arrested, some are under surveillance, and some are still at large.

Even in America’s heartland, even in my own State of Iowa, document fraud, identity theft and terrorism are a concern. Law enforcement officials in Iowa are seeing more and more document

fraud and identity theft.

2

These terrorists are alias among us, living openly, but falsely,

threatening our lives and our security. Identity theft and document

fraud are far too easy to commit for Americans to feel safe.

Our national security is at stake. Our government needs to do

more to protect us. We have to face the fact that driver’s licenses

and that Social Security numbers have become the de facto national identifiers.

Without these, you cannot really function in American society.

With them, you can open bank accounts, buy a gun, get a credit

card, take flight lessons, and you can board airplanes.

Our government recognizes the problem of identity theft and of

document fraud. But the question today is, 2 years after our attacks of 9/11, is our government doing enough about this problem?

How safe are we?

How easy is it to obtain valid identity documents under an alias?

How secure is the Social Security number and the driver’s license

process? How easy is it to make counterfeit documents that work?

I do not think anyone here is going to like the answer. I do not

know that I do.

We have a lot of witnesses here today to testify and to answer

these questions. Before we hear from our first panel, I would call

on Senator Baucus for an opening statement. After that, we will

call our first panel.

Senator Baucus?

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. MAX BAUCUS, A U.S. SENATOR

FROM MONTANA

Senator BAUCUS. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening this hearing, particularly as we near the second

anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

I think it is important to remind ourselves that, back in January,

the President spoke to the Nation and reminded us about the war

on terror and how high the stakes are.

In reference to the war on terrorism, he said, ‘‘As we fight this

war, we will remember where it began,’’ that is, in our own country. He further said, ‘‘We have intensified security at the border

and at the ports of entry.’’

After the speech, this committee held a hearing to assess the security of our borders. We learned that, despite the tough talk, there

were very serious questions about whether the government was

doing enough.

Today’s hearing focuses on another critical aspect of how we protect our homeland, the adequacy of systems used to issue identification documents to people in our country. Specifically, we will

focus on the apparent ease with which an authentic driver’s license

can be obtained by using fictitious documents.

This committee has a vital role to play in identifying fraud

through its oversight of the use of Social Security numbers. The reality is that Social Security numbers play a vital role in verifying

identity.

While the Social Security Administration has taken some steps

to prevent the misuse of Social Security numbers, problems still

persist.

3

Today we will hear about two recently discovered gaps in the

protection of these numbers. We also want to hear what the administration is doing, that is the Social Security Administration, to

close these gaps.

But why is the issue of identification fraud important? It is

worth remembering that 7 out of the 19 September 11th hijackers

fraudulently obtained authentic driver’s licenses through the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

They used these authentic driver’s licenses to board the planes

on that tragic day. Even today, there are press reports that Virginia DMV workers were part of a lucrative scam that trafficked

in bogus Virginia driver’s licenses, and netted more than $1 million.

Last month, a man from Guinea was charged with using a false

Social Security number to cash counterfeit checks as part of another conspiracy that obtained over $1.2 million.

The suspect admitted having three Virginia driver’s licenses. For

one, he told DMV workers he changed his name for religious reasons. For the second license, he used an international driver’s license. For the third license, the DMV allowed a friend to vouch for

his residency.

It remains clear that a weak link in our National security chain

still exists. A driver’s license is a commonly acceptable form of

identification. It also plays an integral role in helping to protect

our National security.

Not only are licenses used to board an airplane, they also make

it possible to reenter the United States, obtain access to government buildings, open bank accounts, cash checks, and buy weapons.

What is most important about a driver’s license is the apparent

legitimacy it establishes. Driver’s licenses, like all governmentissued IDs, carry a presumption of authenticity. When we see these

forms of ID, we presume the persons possessing them are who they

say they are.

We lessen our suspicions, we drop our guard. We assume the

government has done its job in checking out the person’s credentials and has validated the person’s true identity. Unfortunately, as

we will hear today, this is not always the case.

GAO will tell us today that, 2 years after 9/11, many DMVs remain susceptible to fraud and abuse. The GAO will testify that

DMVs are not alert to the possibility of identity fraud.

Some workers at the DMV failed to follow security procedures

and report attempts to create false identities. In other cases, DMV

workers told the GAO investigators what they needed to do to fix

their fraudulent documents.

We will also learn that DMV offices do not have access to the appropriate information systems to fully carry out the background

checks they needed to perform. In a time of heightened national security, state DMVs play an integral role in protecting us.

A driver’s license is more than a license to drive. It is the primary document we use to identify ourselves. Accordingly, DMVs

have responsibility to look beyond driving safety and detect counterfeit documents used to establish identity. Frankly, the DMV

vulnerabilities are inexcusable.

4

So what are we going to do about this? First, we need better

standards for issuing identity documents. This will increase detection of fictitious or fraudulent documents used to establish identity.

Second, we will ensure that DMV workers are better trained to

identify counterfeit documents. Third, we need more sophisticated

technology at DMVs.

The Department of Homeland Security was created to facilitate

communication among agencies. We also need to ensure that DMVs

can communicate with each other and with law enforcement officials. Fourth, DMV workers need to become more vigilant to prevent bad actors from obtaining valid driver’s licenses.

Today’s hearing is very timely and disturbing. I look forward to

hearing from the witnesses. I am particularly interested, though,

in learning what specific steps the administration is taking to address the security weaknesses identified by our witnesses.

Talk is cheap. The American people deserve and expect action.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Baucus. You and your staff

have very much cooperated with us on this hearing and other oversight hearings, and I appreciate that very much.

To start our first panel, we are going to hear from Assistant Attorney General Richard Convertino. The other witness, who is a

Federal prisoner, also should be brought out just a little bit later.

Mr. Convertino is the lead Federal prosecutor in the Eastern District, Michigan. He handled the Detroit sleeper cell case. This case

led to the first terrorism conviction since 9/11 and it is a flagship

in the Justice Department’s war on terror.

The FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s office in Eastern District, Michigan did an excellent job on this case, putting three terrorists in jail

and protecting our Nation.

In particular, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. Convertino,

and also the other prosecutor on the case, Keith Corbett, as well

as your support staff and the case agents for our FBI.

This case was a tough one, but they used an aggressive approach. It paid off with a conviction of three terrorist suspects. Mr.

Convertino, I think you are a model public servant. As far as I am

concerned, you should be hailed as a hero.

I have a list of your professional accomplishments, which I want

to enter into the record. I think the Attorney General’s words on

the day of the guilty convictions are worth repeating.

Attorney General Ashcroft said, ‘‘Today’s conviction sends a clear

message. The Department of Justice will work diligently to detect,

disrupt, and dismantle the activities of terrorist cells in the United

States and abroad.

Today’s verdict reaffirms our commitment to pursuing aggressively the evidence, wherever it may lead. I congratulate the prosecutors,’’ so that would include you, Mr. Convertino, ‘‘and agents

who worked tirelessly on that particular case.’’

I think Attorney General Ashcroft’s words are right on the mark.

This case began when the FBI raided an apartment in Detroit on

September 17, 2001. Three suspects were arrested on document

and identity fraud, a fourth suspect arrested later.

5

Many fraudulent documents were found in the apartment, including passports, driver’s licenses, airport passes, and Social Security cards. The suspects were later indicted on terrorism charges.

Mr. Convertino is going to give us details of this case. But I can

tell you that this was definitely a serious terrorist group. Three defendants were convicted in June and now are facing years behind

bars. This investigation is a case study in the dangers of document

and identity fraud, and how it is so connected to our terrorism

problems.

Before I go any further, I also would note several issues for the

record. It is unusual to have an Assistant U.S. Attorney testify before any Congressional committee. However, there is precedent for

this, which I will explain.

But, first, I want to note that there are extraordinary reasons

why this committee required this witness’ testimony and why this

committee issued a subpoena for him to testify.

No one is in a better position than Mr. Convertino to make the

Congress and the public aware of the dangers of document and

identity fraud and terrorism. Because of that, this committee

issued a subpoena to Mr. Convertino which he was bound to obey

and comply with.

Mr. Convertino is not going to tell us anything today that is not

on the public record, either in court documents or news reports. He

is here merely to put this all in context and explain it all to us as

committee members.

Mr. Convertino is the last person who would jeopardize his own

criminal case, and he will not say anything today to do that. Mr.

Convertino, if you or other witnesses are asked a question by any

member of this committee that may jeopardize your case, all you

have to do is say so, and we will understand.

I do understand how sensitive it is to bring a line attorney before

the committee. There is always the risk of politicizing a case. Nobody on this committee is more sensitive to that than I have, having served on the Judiciary Committee since my coming to the Senate.

The only time such extraordinary circumstances are warranted is

when it is in the public interest to know about the threats to our

own safety. The public does need to know about the dangers of document and identify fraud, and about their links to terrorism. This

is clearly one of those times.

As for Congressional precedent for line attorneys to testify, I

have had some involvement. In 2000, the Judiciary Committee was

investigating the handling of the Peter Lee espionage case stemming from theft of nuclear secrets from our weapons labs. Line attorneys from the Justice Department were subpoenaed to testify for

several of those hearings.

I also want to note that Federal law prohibits any retaliation or

any discrimination against any person who testifies to the Congress. Committing those acts, I would remind everybody, is a criminal violation of 18 U.S.C., Section 1505.

I certainly do not expect there to be repercussions because Mr.

Convertino is here to explain how the Justice Department is winning the war on terrorism. But just in case someone is thinking

6

about retaliation, this committee is not going to tolerate it. We take

seriously the protection of our witnesses.

Also on the panel, is a prisoner in Federal custody who was a

witness in the Detroit case. Yousseff Hmimssa plead guilty to fraud

charges and was a cooperating witness for the government, and

testified against terrorists.

Hmimssa became involved with a terrorist group that wanted

Hmimssa to make false identity documents for them. He never did

so. He never did become a full member of the terrorism cell, but

he was associated with them. He can provide an inside view of how

they operate and what they wanted false identity documents for.

Hmimssa was arrested in my home State of Iowa, Cedar Rapids,

thanks to the good work of the Secret Service and the Cedar Rapids police department. This shows that the document fraud connections to terrorism can be anywhere, even in small communities in

a rural State.

Let me also take a moment and note for the record that

Hmimssa was not charged with terrorism. He was indicted on

fraud charges in connection with fake documents that he made for

the suspects, and he plead guilty to fraud charges, not terrorism

charges.

I also understand that Hmimssa has cooperated with the prosecution, and his testimony was key for the government’s victory.

He has chosen to answer our questions today so that we can find

out how simple it is to commit identity theft and document fraud,

how simple it is to circumvent the system

On the other hand, Hmimssa is a criminal. But he is not a terrorist. He is paying, and will pay, for his crimes. He has made mistakes and he realizes that. Now he is trying to help us fix it.

Hmimssa is not on trial here today. He has agreed to help this

committee. He has agreed to help the Congress and the public address the national security threat of identity theft and document

fraud.

Hmimssa is not going to provide formal testimony. Instead, he

will answer our questions about what he did and how he did it. He

is testifying behind a screen for security reasons. Committee staff

has conducted an interview with Hmimssa, and a summary of that

interview will be entered into the record as an exhibit.

I would ask, without objection, that that be done at this point.

[The information appears in the appendix.]

The CHAIRMAN. Hmimssa is under tight security. I ask the audience to remain seated and quiet during this session of the hearing.

We cannot have anyone come or leave at that particular time.

Mr. Convertino, we will begin with your testimony. First, I want

to ask if Senator Baucus has anything to say at this point before

we proceed.

After that, though, we will ask you questions. Once we finish

that, the marshalls will bring Hmimssa into the room for questions.

Senator Baucus, do you have anything you want to add?

Senator BAUCUS. Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

First, while it is unusual to have an Assistant U.S. Attorney testify at a hearing such as this, these are unusual times. I commend

Mr. Convertino for all his work. I think he has done a great job.

7

I also commend you again, Mr. Chairman. You are known for

protecting Federal employees during oversight investigations, protecting Federal employees who are doing their job, and I commend

you for that. This is just another case of that. I associate myself

with your remarks regarding Mr. Convertino.

The CHAIRMAN. Well, thank you very much.

Mr. Convertino, would you proceed with your testimony?

STATEMENT OF RICHARD CONVERTINO, ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY, EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN, DEPARTMENT

OF JUSTICE, LEAD PROSECUTOR ON THE DETROIT TERRORISM SLEEPER CELL CASE

Mr. CONVERTINO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning.

Sir, this case started in Detroit approximately eight days after

the tragic events in September of 2001, those being September 17,

2001, when members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Detroit

attempted to locate Nabil al-Marabh. Mr. al-Marabh was the 27th

person on the watch list of the FBI and they were looking to talk

to him.

They went to the door, the residence at 2653 Norman Street to

see if they could have a discussion with Mr. al-Marabh. He was not

there. There were three defendants in the apartment, two were

from Morocco and the third was from Algeria. Mr. Chairman, the

Algerian defendant was acquitted of all charges at trial.

The defendants gave the JTTF members consensual search authority and they began to search the apartment. That was followed

up, Mr. Chairman, by a search warrant signed by a Federal magistrate sometime in the early morning hours of September 17.

What was discovered in the apartment at 2653 Norman Street,

sir, were false passports, false Social Security cards, resident alien

card and visas that were false, a Day Planner that had casing

sketches that I will talk about briefly in a moment, airport identification badges for two of the defendants with their names and pictures on the identification badge, a box of 105 audiocassette tapes,

a casing video, a group of blank Algerian birth certificates, and

dozens of passport-sized photographs were also seized.

The fourth defendant, who we believe was the cell leader, was arrested November 4, 2002 in North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, this

was a Salifist Cell. The group was a radical Islamic fundamentalist

group of Salifists who promoted Jihad and Holy War. The Jihad

they promoted was global.

The group espoused violence against others. That is, they viewed

others outside of their group as infidels. They saw the world as divided into two spheres, a zone of war, or non-Islamic area, and a

zone of Islam. The United States was deemed by this group to be

the zone of war.

Salifists are aligned philosophically with the Wahabis. As I am

sure the committee knows, the Wahabis are aligned with Osma bin

Laden.

Of the 105 tapes that were seized and introduced into evidence

at trial, I have before the committee a sampling of the invective

speech that was replete throughout the tapes: ‘‘oh, Allah, kill them

all. Do not leave any of them alive. Oh, Allah, be without them,

8

whoever believe with them. Destroy them with total destruction.’’

This is but one of the 105 tapes, sir, that were seized.

In addition to the tapes, a Day Planner was seized. The Day

Planner and the false documents were deemed by the defendants

to have belonged to a person by the name of Jalali.

Jalali was told to the agents by the defendants as someone who

had previously lived in the apartment and had left previously. But

they wanted to keep the documents, according to the defendants,

in case Jalali returned. The Day Planner was one of the documents

that the defendants said belonged to Jalali.

Sir, you can see on the exhibit before you, the translation of the

Arabic is, ‘‘American base in Turkey under the command of the Defense Minister for all Weapons.’’

This was provided to the Office of Special Investigation for the

Air Force in the Insurlake Air Base in Turkey. They had determined, beyond all peradventure, that this was a casing sketch of

the air base in Turkey.

The expert who testified, Lieutenant Colonel Peterson, said that

she believed that the planes depicted below are the three types of

aircraft that take off routinely in, previously, Operation Northern

Watch. The aircraft to the right depicts a fighter; in the middle, a

tanker refueler; to the left, an AWACS.

The flight order which is depicted to the left of the sketch is

AWACS, tanker refueler, and fighter jet. According to the expert

witness, that is the exact order that those planes take off, or took

off, for every operation in Northern Watch. This information was

not public.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Peterson, the only way to get

this information, and depicted on this sketch as accurately as it is,

is having someone on the ground at the air base in Turkey.

Lieutenant Colonel Peterson believes that the lines crossing in

front of the planes are possible fields of fire by shoulder-held missiles, which is a threat at that air base.

There is a factory just outside of the air base. The testimony at

trial was that the experts believed that the vantage point that the

person who drew this sketch was taken from this factory.

Also in the Day Planner, Mr. Chairman, were sketches that were

determined by an expert in Iman, Jordan, Ray Smith, who is the

Regional Security Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Jordan, to be a

depiction of the Queen Alial Military Hospital in Iman, Jordan.

The words depicted on this are interpretations of the Arabic. In

particular, I draw your attention to the ‘‘behind, back parking, private, non-direct.’’ The military hospital does, indeed, have a parking lot that is behind it, as depicted here, and does have political

members as patients from time to time.

A videotape was also seized at the time of the search warrant.

A line bar was put together by the expert, Special Agent Paul

George, who testified on tradecraft in the trial. The videotape was

deceptive in its appearance, Mr. Chairman. It had on its labeling,

‘‘La Prince.’’ It appeared, by its nature, to be a store-bought tape.

The tape was punched out so it could be re-recorded over. It was,

curiously, shot and recorded over several times. You can see that

the dates are out of sequence from L.A., Disney Land, Las Vegas,

and New York.

9

If one were to put this tape in a VCR here in the United States,

the only thing that they would see was fuzz. Special Agent George

testified that it is in the European format, or was in the European

format, and that was a way to disguise and deceive the person who

reviewed the tape into thinking that the tape was blank, when in

fact it had what Special Agent George testified to, was casing material of Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York.

At the end of the tape is a segment from an Egyptian television

show. That is where the tape was when it was played first. Special

Agent George said that that was because, if somebody played that

in the tape, maybe someone through the Customs Service at the

time the tape was tried to be taken in or out of the country, they

did have the European format VCR, they could see, or would see,

that it was nothing more than Egyptian television, and pass it on.

In the tape, Mr. Chairman, the photographer in the video shows

a ride at Disney Land. It shows the ride and the line, going

through the queue of the line. Special Agent George testified that

was to show that it was a very crowded ride.

It was the only ride at Disney Land that was underground, and

there was particular attention paid to the garbage cans, the trash

receptacles, during the course of the line through the ride. There

were no videos of the rides themselves, just this one line.

In addition, there is an outdoor scene where the translation of

the videographer, they point to a water area and the person filming

it says, ‘‘Here is a rising cemetery. For who? Sacrifices. We will

give them to America.’’ There is an expletive. ‘‘Strike them and

throw them here. Oh, God. These sissies. How they all look.’’ That

was on the segment of the tape, Mr. Chairman, that was filmed in

Disney Land.

The Las Vegas and the New York segments are equally as curious. The New York segment is from a hotel room and it zooms in

on the front entranceway to the New York Times, comes back, and

goes back onto the entranceway of the New York Times and the

surrounding area.

In particular, the L.A. segment tracks a car from the balcony, as

if one would be engaged in sniper activity from that balcony. So,

it gives the perspective, it gives everything that anyone would want

who is interested in casing these particular areas.

During the course of the trial, Mr. Chairman, we had closing argument, a Power Point presentation, only a part of which is here

today because of time, obviously. But these were intended to corroborate the testify of Yousseff Hmimssa, who testified at length

during the trial.

Mr. Hmimssa testified that one of the defendants, the Algerian

defendant who was acquitted at trial, talked about blank documents and talked about filling in blank foreign documents, and

turning those blank documents into legitimate United States documents.

During the course of the search, there were a group of blank Algerian documents that were seized in the house in the belongings

of the defendant who was from Algeria.

The process to recruit Mr. Hmimssa and his expertise into the

group occurred sometime in June of 2001, when Mr. Hmimssa

moved to Dearborn and became acquainted with the defendants at

10

a coffee shop. The defendants invited Mr. Hmimssa to live with

them.

During the time that he did, they learned that Mr. Hmimssa was

an expert with the computer. Mr. Hmimssa could create false documents, which was very important to them.

They had told Mr. Hmimssa that they wanted false documents,

including driver’s licenses, false passports, Social Security cards so

they could acquire weaponry and send this weaponry abroad to the

Ikwan, or the brother, so they could set up drop boxes, so they

could use and train anonymously. They had a shared hatred for the

Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the United States, as relayed

by Mr. Hmimssa at trial.

During the course of the discussion with the defendants when he

lived with them, they had spoken as if they had been to Jordan.

They said that they had despised Turkey and Saudi Arabia because

of the presence of U.S. troops in the Islamic countries.

They referred to Las Vegas, Mr. Chairman, as the City of Satan,

and spoke of Las Vegas as a prime target for attack because of the

heavy tourist population.

They wanted to acquire CDL licenses in Michigan. This was an

effort to acquire and transport hazardous materials. In fact, there

was evidence at trial that one of the defendants told Mr. Hmimssa

that he wanted to locate a truck that he could take hazardous material and drive it into the stadium in downtown Michigan.

They told Mr. Hmimssa repeatedly that they followed the

Fatwas, or religious dictations of Sheik Rocman, who was convicted

in the first World Trade Center bombing, and Osama bin Laden.

They justified the killing of innocent civilians based upon their

being in the zone of war. This was all relayed to Mr. Hmimssa during the period of time when he lived with the defendants, Mr.

Chairman. They talked about acquiring shoulder-held missiles to

shoot down airplanes.

The cell leader, as I mentioned earlier, was the person who was

arrested 11/4/2002, Abdulla el-Mardoudi. Mr. el-Mardoudi is a lawyer, in fact, from Morocco. He taught the defendants code.

He was able, Mr. el-Mardoudi, to make international connections

and calls that were virtually untraceable. He instructed the defendants to canvass the Detroit airport for security breaches.

He told the defendants that he wanted them to have access to

the planes and asked them if they could falsify documentation, including airport badges.

The defendants spoke to Mr. Hmimssa about having access to

planes and getting weapons, and even a person, on board an aircraft at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

The cell leader, Mr. el-Mardoudi, had asked Mr. Hmimssa to create false airport badges, as well as false FBI identification. Mr. elMardoudi had access to funds and contacts internationally. There

was evidence at trial, Mr. Chairman, that Mr. el-Mardoudi had received and sent wire transfers all over the world.

In fact, Mr. el-Mardoudi had traveled to Turkey, which was very

important to tie in the Turkish air base out of the Day Planner.

The Day Planner, incidentally, was obviously fingerprinted by the

FBI lab. The fingerprints that came back positive were all of the

defendants’.

11

The one fingerprint that was not found anywhere on the Day

Planner, Mr. Chairman, was that of Yousseff Hmimssa, the person

who the defendants initially said possessed and owned the Day

Planner.

Mr. el-Mardoudi’s fingerprints were on the Day Planner. On the

page depicting the air base, Defendant Karim Koubriti’s, who was

convicted at trial, his fingerprints were on that page.

Mr. Chairman, during the course of the search, agents discovered

the Michigan ‘‘CDL Answers’’ on both the green and the yellow

forms. Those answers were discovered in and among the belongings

of both of the defendants who were convicted at trial.

During the time that Mr. Hmimssa had contact with the cell

leader and Karim Koubriti, they both spoke of a portion of Turkey

that spoke Arabic. Mr. Hmimssa was incredulous, believing at the

time that there was no area in Turkey where Arabic was spoken.

Mr. Hmimssa told the jury that Mr. el-Mardoudi told him that

there was a city that he had traveled to that was very close to the

border of Syria called Anatokya. Hmimssa testified that Mr. elMardoudi told him he traveled there to meet with Ikwan, or likeminded brothers.

Among the documents that were seized from Mr. el-Mardoudi

when he was arrested, and also from a storage locker in Cedar

Rapids, were documents that the Turkish terrorism unit tied into

having been used as aliases for travel into Turkey on at least three

occasions. Those were Hussein Hussan Sofadin, and Abdul ela-Naji.

The testimony at trial showed that persons by that name and

using that identification had been into Turkey on more than one

occasion.

Mr. Hmimssa testified that he received his foreign passports and

the passports that were used by him to alter and be altered from

the defendant, el-Mardoudi. At the time of Mr. el-Mardoudi’s arrest, the agents from the DEA seized almost $90,000 in cash and

money orders, three passports, 12 blank I–94 forms, a false driver’s

license, Salifist papers that tied back into the papers that were

seized, Mr. Chairman, in Dearborn. These are but some of the

items that were seized in the belongings of Mr. el-Mardoudi at the

time of his arrest.

Mr. Chairman, many of the defendants’ activities and methods

were perfectly consistent with the al Qaeda manual that was seized

in Great Britain. This came out at trial through the expert testimony of Special Agent Paul George.

This case exposed the methodology and the operations consistent

with terrorist cells that have established a foothold here in the

United States and have shown their ability to adopt and modify

their operations.

The importance, in my mind, of this prosecution is that it engaged, it investigated, and it charged and convicted a pre-operational terrorist cell before they struck or before they could assist

others in any attack here in the United States or abroad.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, I beg your indulgence to commend the

other people who were involved in this case and worked tirelessly

throughout the case since it began in September of 2001.

I would like to commend, personally, Special Agent James Brennan of the FBI, Special Agent Paul George of the FBI, Special

12

Agent Mike Thomas of the FBI, Special Agent Matt Meyer of the

FBI, Special Agent Mark Pilot of the INS, Keith Corbett, my cocounsel and the chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force in Detroit, and the most important person in the case, Anna Bruny, who

was the legal secretary involved and worked nonstop from the inception of this case.

So, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am happy to answer any questions that I can.

The CHAIRMAN. We will have 5-minute rounds. I would ask the

Clerk to set the clock.

Mr. Convertino, what is the importance of false identity documents for terrorists, and what did these terrorists in Detroit specifically want to use false identity documents for?

Mr. CONVERTINO. Well, Mr. Chairman, as is in the case with anyone with criminal intent, hiding one’s identity can insulate and

protect the subject of the criminality. In particular, the defendants

in Detroit wanted false documents to travel anonymously, obtain

drop boxes so they could receive and send shipments.

They wanted to train with weapons at a firing range anonymously. And, most importantly, they wanted to bring brothers, or

Ikwan, into the United States anonymously as well under a false

identity.

Mr. el-Mardoudi, as was pointed out earlier, did travel anonymously or under false identification to Turkey on more than one occasion. We know he has received and sent wire transfers in other

names on more than one occasion.

In fact, he received a wire transfer of $1,200 on July 16, 2001

under the name of Nassim Hilali in Detroit, Michigan in order to

give that money that he received to Yousseff Hmimssa to buy supplies and products so that Yousseff Hmimssa can continue on and

create further false identity for Mr. el-Mardoudi and others. So,

there are a plethora of reasons. The only limiting factor, seemingly,

is one’s imagination.

The CHAIRMAN. Was there misleading or false identify information in the Day Planner found in the terrorists’ apartments?

Mr. CONVERTINO. There was what Special Agent George characterized as a security plan built into the possible discovery of the

Day Planner. That is the use of a mentally incompetent person by

the name of Ali Muhammad ali-Akhmed, who signed several of the

pages in the Day Planner at the direction of the defendants.

Mr. Ali Muhammad ali-Akhmed was severely mentally incompetent and was cared for by his brother and his father. According

to the testimony of his brother, he was unable to function on his

own. In fact, the only thing he could do was sign his name and he

would do anything for a cigarette.

There were also other witnesses during the course of the trial

that came forward and testified who also were mentally incompetent who were sought out by the defendants and who were asked

to sign onto various documents in order to protect the defendants

if those documents were discovered, as was the defense at trial that

the Day Planner belonged to someone who was just jotting down

incoherent notes.

13

So, the defense was built in, expertly, I think, during the course

of the use of the documents, and the people who were sought out

to obtain false documents for the defendants.

The CHAIRMAN. What types of equipment were used to create

false documents in this specific case?

Mr. CONVERTINO. Mr. Chairman, probably the best person to answer that would be Yousseff Hmimssa. But I am aware, through

the testimony at trial, that very simple things were used to create

very accurate and very good false documentation.

Mr. Hmimssa purchased items at Wal-Mart, Office Max, that

kind of place to make what would appear to be very convincing

false documentation that were, in fact, very passable, to the point

of using those documents to travel and receive other legitimate

documentations.

The CHAIRMAN. How many aliases and bank accounts did the cell

leader have?

Mr. CONVERTINO. We have no idea, Mr. Chairman. There would

just be too many to count. We only know of a very small number.

The CHAIRMAN. How did the defendants communicate among

themselves and with other terrorists?

Mr. CONVERTINO. The cell leader, el-Mardoudi, had become very

proficient at what is known as shoulder surfing, or stealing phone

card numbers from people at airports. He would pass those phone

card numbers on, and then the defendants and others would use

those phone cards to call switching stations in Europe.

So if defendant one wanted to contact defendant two and they

are one apartment away in the same town, the would call through

Mr. el-Mardoudi, Europe, Western Europe, and could travel all

over through the European continent and come back to that very

apartment right next door and be totally untraceable. That was the

testimony at trial.

The CHAIRMAN. This will be my last question, then Senator Baucus will ask.

What was the impact when authorities discovered the Day Planner sketches at the Turkish air base? And I would like to have you

describe how the sketches were accurate, or how you knew they

were accurate.

Mr. CONVERTINO. I knew they were accurate in my own mind,

because I went to Turkey and I want to Iman, Jordan. I, along with

Special Agent Mike Thomas, were able to compare the sketches in

the Day Planner with what we saw.

We went and climbed a rope to the top of that factory, both of

us, along with the Air Force personnel, and were able to hold copies of what we had from the Day Planner and oversee the air base,

and had a clear and unobstructed view of the airplanes, of their

take-off pattern, of the hardened bunker that Lieutenant Colonel

Peterson said is depicted on the Day Planner in the lower corner.

Special Agent Thomas testified about what he personally observed while he was in Turkey and while he was in Iman, Jordan

regarding those particular sites, as well as experts from both of

those countries.

And to answer your first question, the operations group commander for Operation Northern Watch revised the flight approach

14

and the departure to counter any possible shoulder-fired missile attacks, as a result of having received copies of the Day Planner.

The CHAIRMAN. All right.

Senator Baucus?

Senator BAUCUS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Convertino, what authentic documents are most easily obtained through forged readers? Would it be driver’s licenses, would

it be Social Security, would it be airport workers’ passes, would it

be government ID? Which ones are the legitimate ones that are the

ones most easily obtained based on fraudulent information?

Mr. CONVERTINO. Senator Baucus, Mr. Hmimssa would be a better witness than I to tell you exactly what types of documents

might be easier to obtain. I can tell you that the documents that

he obtained and that were obtained fraudulently and falsely in our

trial ran the gamut, from driver’s licenses, to Social Security cards,

to passports, to visas, to resident alien cards. All of those documents were created falsely and brought in as evidence in our trial,

and they were very passable.

Senator BAUCUS. I understand he may be a better witness. That

is, he probably is closer to the action, if you will. But, still, based

on your experience and based on your knowledge, which are more

easily obtainable?

Mr. CONVERTINO. Well, I recall how easy it was for Mr. Hmimssa

to acquire all of those documents that were admitted into evidence

and to transform a legitimate document by the use of something as

common as Photo Shop, which is purchased at any large department store.

So, he was able to use Photo Shop and move, amend, and manipulate what he had on a scanner or had scanned into his computer,

then quite easily adjusted what he had through the use of Photo

Shop and other computer programs that he manipulated to make

very, very passable false documents.

Senator BAUCUS. Now, you must have given a lot of thought to

all this. That is, how easy it is to get authentic ID based on fraudulent documents. What is the best solution? It seems like it is pretty

easy to do and it is pretty easy to get some authentic IDs based

on fraudulent documents. What do we do about this? How do we

control it? Where do we start?

Mr. CONVERTINO. Senator, that is several levels above my pay

grade. I am sorry, I do not feel competent to answer that question.

Senator BAUCUS. But you must have some sense. Just, gosh, you

see these driver’s licenses, you see these passports. You see all of

these various IDs, and at some point you probably think, gosh, I

want to prosecute this case and I want to win, and I am going to

win. But at the same time, you must be thinking, gosh, we have

got to figure out some way to prevent some of this.

Mr. CONVERTINO. Well, the only thing I can tell you, Senator,

with certainty, is when I have a case that has false identification,

and I have had others, my sole goal is to be able to prove that the

identification is false beyond a reasonable doubt at the time of

trial. That is where my brainstorming stops.

Senator BAUCUS. Why is Mr. Hmimssa making himself available

here? I would think that it creates certain risks for him.

15

Mr. CONVERTINO. I think it does. Mr. Hmimssa has been extraordinarily cooperative since the time he and his attorney decided to

come forward. He has fully divulged his criminal activities, known

and unknown, to the government. He has been very forthcoming.

I think his attitude—and he can certainly tell you better than I—

is that this is activity that he was engaged in. He is not proud of

it. He is not happy about it. If he can do anything to attempt to

turn that around, I think he is prepared to do that. I think that

is, in sum and substance, what his attitude is now, Senator.

Senator BAUCUS. All right. We can certainly ask him. But if he

one in that category who sees the world in two camps, somewhat

black and white, I am a little bit surprised to find him so cooperative.

Mr. CONVERTINO. He has been.

Senator BAUCUS. You trust his statements?

Mr. CONVERTINO. I very rarely trust anyone’s statements, Senator. What I can tell you is, you can see on the screen, where it

says ‘‘corroboration of use of Hmimssa,’’ that was a large part of

our case, quite frankly.

The information that Mr. Hmimssa told us had to most definitely

be corroborated and accepted by the jury in order to be believable

to the point that they would vote to convict the defendants.

So, that was our main goal, is to take his statements and corroborate them. We were able to do that on about 20 different occasions, including just the few that were shown.

I will give you one example, if I may. I spoke of the wire transfer

that was received in Dearborn on July 16, 2001 for approximately

$1,200. Mr. Hmimssa told Mr. el-Mardoudi, the cell leader, that he

needed to acquire a printer, he needed to acquire some supplies,

and he needed to acquire the products in order to create good, passable, false documents.

Mr. el-Mardoudi made a telephone call, instructed someone in

Amsterdam to wire funds under the name Nassim. That was what

Mr. Hmimssa told us. The only word that he recalls is ‘‘Nassim.’’

A subpoena was issued. The information that came back that

was presented at trial was that there was a wire transfer on that

particular day for the amount that Mr. Hmimssa previously said

he recalled under the name Nassim Hilali.

Now, at the time the defendant was arrested, Mr. el-Mardoudi,

it was November 4, 2002, several months after this information

was divulged to us. On his person, Mr. el-Mardoudi, was false identification in the name of Nassim Hilali.

That is on this document before you here today. He had the very

Social Security card, the resident alien card that he used. Mr.

Hmimssa would have no way of knowing what he would have on

him or if he would have anything on him at the time he was arrested.

Senator BAUCUS. My time has expired. Thank you very much.

Mr. CONVERTINO. Thank you, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Senator Baucus.

Now, Senator Bunning?

Senator BUNNING. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am very, very interested in the false identification on Social Security numbers, parVerDate 11-MAY-2000 16:37 Sep 02, 2004 Jkt 092535 PO 00000 Frm 00019 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 92477.000 SFINANC2 PsN: SFINANC2
16

ticularly. I will wait until the expert witness on identity theft

comes forward.

My question to you is, if in fact this gentleman who was the cell

leader was involved, when did you prosecute this case?

Mr. CONVERTINO. This year, in June.

Senator BUNNING. In 2003.

Mr. CONVERTINO. Yes, sir.

Senator BUNNING. And when did you incarcerate or capture the

three or four people in the cell, other than the leader?

Mr. CONVERTINO. September 17, 2001.

Senator BUNNING. September 17, 2001.

Can you give me some idea why it took you until 11/4/02 to find

the cell leader and capture him?

Mr. CONVERTINO. I can tell you that he was a fugitive and that

we did not even know his name. We knew his first name, that was

relayed to us by Mr. Hmimssa, as Abdullah. We had no idea what

his name was.

He was arrested with a plethora of false identification under various names. You can see on the screen, his picture is on two. It is

on a resident alien card and also on a New Jersey driver’s license

under two separate names. He flitted and floated in the United

States under aliases for a long time.

Senator BUNNING. Was there any evidence discovered during

your investigation that might indicate that there were active cells

that were also associated with a cell that you discovered and prosecuted?

Mr. CONVERTINO. No, sir.

Senator BUNNING. None?

Mr. CONVERTINO. No, sir.

Senator BUNNING. In other words, there were only four people in

the cell and you were successful in prosecuting three?

Mr. CONVERTINO. Actually, with Mr. Hmimssa, it would be four.

Mr. Hmimssa would be convicted as well.

Senator BUNNING. But he was not convicted as a terrorist.

Mr. CONVERTINO. Yes. That is right, sir. He was not.

Senator BUNNING. In other words, there were three that were

convicted as terrorist and one that was——

Mr. CONVERTINO. Acquitted.

Senator BUNNING. And one that was acquitted completely?

Mr. CONVERTINO. Yes, sir.

Senator BUNNING. I have no more questions.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. I will go back to Senator Baucus.

Otherwise, I just had one question before we bring in Mr.

Hmimssa.

Do you have another question?

Senator BAUCUS. Yes. I am just curious if you know, Mr.

Convertino, how many terrorists have been convicted in the U.S.

since 9/11?

Mr. CONVERTINO. I do not know, Senator. I do not know how

many individuals have been convicted of terrorism-related charges

since that time. I just do not have that information.

Senator BAUCUS. All right. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

17

The CHAIRMAN. Yes. One last question about Mr. Hmimssa before we bring him in.

Could you describe the plea agreement that Mr. Hmimssa entered into with the government and the extent of his cooperation

with you?

Mr. CONVERTINO. Well, as I mentioned, Mr. Chairman, I think

his cooperation was extraordinary, up to and including today. The

plea agreement outlines charges, I believe approximately a dozen

charges or so that Mr. Hmimssa had plead guilty to, in three different districts, including Chicago, the Northern District of Illinois,

Cedar Rapids, and the Eastern District of Michigan. He plead

guilty to all of the charges that were brought against him in all

three districts.

In return for that, he is receiving a downward departure for his

acceptance of responsibility, which is, under the guidelines, a three

basis point reduction. He is looking at approximately 46 months.

But he has not been sentenced as of yet. He awaits sentencing, as

do the other defendants.

The CHAIRMAN. All right. I thank you.

Now, I reminded everybody that when we bring Mr. Hmimssa in

that nobody can leave or enter the room during this phase of the

hearing. Cameras will have to be turned off and pointed down

while he comes in.

Would we bring in Mr. Hmimssa at this point, then?

[The summary of the Senate Finance Committee interview with

Yousseff Hmimssa appears in the appendix.]

Mr. Hmimssa, I thank you for agreeing to be here today. We are

going to ask you some questions about your involvement in the

case and how you made false identity documents. I am going to ask

questions for five to seven minutes, and then I would turn it over

to Senator Baucus, if he has questions, then other Senators that

want to be involved in this.

Mr. Hmimssa, thank you for cooperating with the committee.

Would you please describe the process by which you would create

a false identity for a person residing illegally in the country?

STATEMENT OF YOUSSEFF HMIMSSA

Mr. HMIMSSA. First of all, I need a passport. Then, using the

passport, a foreign passport, I need a visa. There is a sticker that

I am going to put on the visa and have this person go and apply

for a Social Security card at the Social Security Administration.

Once they get the card in the mail, within, like, 10 days, they

will get the card, along with the passport, and go and apply for a

driver’s license or ID at the Secretary of State.

The CHAIRMAN. All right. When you came to the United States,

and I believe that was in 1994, how did you gain entry into the

country and how did you get the documents that you needed to

enter the United States?

Mr. HMIMSSA. I was living in Europe, so I bought a French passport and I came to the United States as a French citizen. So I got

here and went to Chicago in 1994 and I was, at that time, here legally. Then I went and I applied for a Social Security card. I got

it in the mail. I went and I applied for a driver’s license and ID.

Senator BAUCUS. Sir, how did you get your French passport?

18

Mr. HMIMSSA. I bought the French passport from the black market in Europe.

Senator BAUCUS. Thank you.

The CHAIRMAN. Did you finish your statement on my second

question?

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes, sir, I did.

The CHAIRMAN. All right.

Once you got here, what documents did you get to establish yourself in Chicago, and how did you get those documents?

Mr. HMIMSSA. As I said, I got to the United States using the

French passport. Once I got to the country, I went to the Social Security Administration and I applied for a Social Security card. I applied for it. Within 10 days, I got it in the mail. Using that card,

along with the passport, I went to the Secretary of State in Illinois

and I got ID and a driver’s license.

The CHAIRMAN. Can you explain in more detail how you got your

Social Security number? It is my understanding that you got that

Social Security number under the name of Patrick Vuillaume.

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes, sir, that is right. Patrick Vuillaume. The

passport, as I said, I bought from the black market, which was another fake passport. The only thing that is not fake is my picture

on it. The name, the number, everything is fake. So, it is under the

name Patrick Vuillaume.

The CHAIRMAN. All right.

Could you explain in detail how you got the Illinois driver’s license under that same name?

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes, sir. Once I got to the country, under Patrick

Vuillaume, using the French passport, I went to the Social Security

Administration and I applied for a Social Security card. I was

asked some questions. I answered those questions. After 10 days,

I got a Social Security card in the mail.

I took the Social Security card, the one I got in the mail, with

my passport and a document or a form that is called an I–94 to

the Secretary of State in Illinois, and I got ID done. I went and I

took the exam, the driving test and writing test. I passed and I got

an Illinois driver’s license under the name Patrick Vuillaume.

The CHAIRMAN. All right.

Then how did you, further, obtain a license to drive a taxi?

Mr. HMIMSSA. I went to college and took classes, all under Patrick Vuillaume. I went to the City of Chicago and took the exam,

the driving exam, and I passed that exam and got a license.

The CHAIRMAN. And it is my understanding you also were able

to open a banking account. How about that?

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes, sir. Yes. Under Patrick Vuillaume, I opened

a bank account in Chicago.

The CHAIRMAN. How did you receive educational training under

the names that you used?

Mr. HMIMSSA. I just went to the college, it was all under Patrick

Vuillaume, and I took classes. So, that was the name I was using

the whole time.

The CHAIRMAN. All right.

Please explain the process for how you obtained a genuine U.S.

passport under the name of Edgardo Colon. Is that right?

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes. Edgardo Colon.

19

The CHAIRMAN. How did you get a passport under yet another

name?

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes. When I was staying in Chicago for over 3

years, I wanted to go back home to see my family, so I went to get

a passport. I could not use the French passport, so I bought an

American birth certificate and Social Security card from the black

market, from someone who was able to give me those documents

for some money.

So, using those documents, the birth certificate and Social Security card, under a different name, I went to the Secretary of State

and I got an ID and driver’s license using that ID, along with the

birth certificate. I went to the post office and I applied for a passport, and I got it in the mail after a few days, 10 days.

The CHAIRMAN. So then you got an Illinois driver’s license again,

under the name of Edgardo Colon.

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes.

The CHAIRMAN. Then that, in turn, was used to get the passport.

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. What happened that made you stop using the

passport under the name of Edgardo Colon?

Mr. HMIMSSA. I paid taxes under this name. I was trying to live

under this name, because it is legal. It is a passport, you know. It

is like living like a citizen. I paid taxes under this name.

Then I got a letter from the IRS that said the Social Security

number that you paid taxes with was used by another taxpayer.

So, obviously the person who sold me the document was still using

his number.

The CHAIRMAN. What is the importance of the I–94 form, and

what did you do with these forms?

Mr. HMIMSSA. With the I–94, I was able to create a blank I–94

using the computer, scanner, and a printer. With that document,

along with the passport and visa, I would go to the Social Security

Administration and apply for a Social Security card, or send someone to apply for a Social Security card.

The CHAIRMAN. My time is up now. So, Senator Baucus?

Senator BAUCUS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Hmimssa, you said you obtained your French passport on the

black market, and you have used the black market a couple of

times here.

How big is the black market? How easy is it to get documents

on the black market so you do not have to forge them or counterfeit

them, you can go out and buy them?

Mr. HMIMSSA. Here in the United States or overseas?

Senator BAUCUS. I want to you to answer both questions, both

the United States and overseas.

Mr. HMIMSSA. Well, overseas, it is really easy. If you have the

right connections, you can get any passport, French, Italian, or any

passport from Europe.

Senator BAUCUS. And in the United States?

Mr. HMIMSSA. The same thing. You just have to have the right

connection. You can get birth certificates, you can get Social Security cards of someone who is not using them, or someone dead.

20

Senator BAUCUS. Which authentic IDs are most easily obtained

through counterfeit documents? Would it be a driver’s license?

What would it be?

Mr. HMIMSSA. First of all, you have to have the right document

to get the driver’s license, the Social Security card and the birth

certificate. But for a foreigner, a Social Security card and a passport. That is really easy to get.

Senator BAUCUS. Is it easy to get a Social Security card?

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes. It is very easy.

Senator BAUCUS. It is very easy to get a Social Security card.

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes.

Senator BAUCUS. You said when you applied you were asked

some questions. What were those questions?

Mr. HMIMSSA. Just simple questions, like the date of birth, mother’s maiden name, father’s name. That is all.

Senator BAUCUS. How do you add security features, such as

holograms, watermarks and reflective inks?

Mr. HMIMSSA. With the I–94, the INS, it has got, like, some security feature on it. Once you put it under UV light, it shines. The

fake one does not shine. So, some offices have this kind of technology and they verify the I–94 under UV lights. So, if it is fake,

it will not shine. The ink will not shine if it is not.

Senator BAUCUS. How easy is it to counterfeit?

Mr. HMIMSSA. I was able to do that, too.

Senator BAUCUS. Watermarks, all of that? The ink, and so forth.

Mr. HMIMSSA. The ink. Yes, I was able to do that. I was able to

come up with the ink that would shine under a UV light.

Senator BAUCUS. Now, do you consider yourself an expert, the

best in the field, or are there a lot of other people who could do

the same thing?

Mr. HMIMSSA. There are a lot of people out there who can do

more than I, who are more expert than I.

Senator BAUCUS. What about other IDs, like for airport employees? Have you ever attempted to make documents, counterfeit

those documents?

Mr. HMIMSSA. I was asked to make such documents, airport

badges and FBI identification cards, but I never did that.

Senator BAUCUS. Do you think you could make a false FBI identification card?

Mr. HMIMSSA. It is very easy.

Senator BAUCUS. Very easy.

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes.

Senator BAUCUS. In your own words, why is it so easy?

Mr. HMIMSSA. All you have to do, is you have to have an FBI

identification card. You scan it. You remove the name and you put

in a new name, and you print it.

Senator BAUCUS. And that would be true for most any document?

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes.

Senator BAUCUS. Now, if, say, the President of the United States

were to ask you, Mr. Hmimssa, I need your help in stopping this,

what would some of your suggestions be to make it more difficult

to get false documents, false IDs?

Mr. HMIMSSA. Something like a smart chip that is used in Europe, with fingerprints.

21

Senator BAUCUS. Fingerprints.

Mr. HMIMSSA. Online fingerprints.

Senator BAUCUS. I am sorry. What is a smart check? What is

that?

Mr. HMIMSSA. A smart chip. They use it like a smart card.

Senator BAUCUS. I see.

Mr. HMIMSSA. It is a microchip which can be found on credit

cards, can be found on IDs and driver’s licenses in Europe, in some

countries in Europe.

Senator BAUCUS. All right.

Anything else come to mind?

Mr. HMIMSSA. As I said, fingerprints.

Senator BAUCUS. Fingerprints.

Mr. HMIMSSA. Eyes.

Senator BAUCUS. Eyes. Eye prints.

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes. Could be voice recognition.

Senator BAUCUS. Voice recognition, perhaps.

But hearing you, it sounds like it is pretty open here in the

United States today. It is pretty easy to make false IDs. Would

that be a correct or incorrect statement?

Mr. HMIMSSA. It is all over the world, sir.

Senator BAUCUS. Well, thank you.

This is very alarming, Mr. Chairman.

Have you noticed the government cracking down? Is it harder

now, more difficult today than it might have been a couple, 3 years

ago to make false IDs without apprehension?

Mr. HMIMSSA. I do not know. I have been in custody for 2 years,

so I do not know what is going on outside.

Senator BAUCUS. Is there a network? Do you talk to fellow people? You are a lone ranger. You just do your own operation. Is that

right? In fact, you are not part of a team that counterfeits. You just

counterfeit for your close associates.

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes.

Senator BAUCUS. All right.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you.

The Senator from Kentucky.

Senator BUNNING. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I want to go back to how you got here. You said you had bought

French passports on the black market in Europe.

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes, sir.

Senator BUNNING. What kind of passport was it, a regular passport? In other words, there is more than one kind of passport.

Mr. HMIMSSA. There is a diplomatic passport and a regular passport.

Senator BUNNING. Yes. Well, yours was a regular one?

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes, sir.

Senator BUNNING. What kind of visa did you get, also?

Mr. HMIMSSA. I did not need a visa. For all western countries,

you do not need a visa between each other. Traveling is free.

Senator BUNNING. What about work permits?

Mr. HMIMSSA. I did not need a work permit.

Senator BUNNING. You did not need one with the kind of passport you had?

22

Mr. HMIMSSA. No, sir.

Senator BUNNING. In other words, your passport allowed you to

come to the United States and work as a citizen might?

Mr. HMIMSSA. No, sir.

Senator BUNNING. Well, explain to me.

Mr. HMIMSSA. Well, I got to the United States and I got a Social

Security card.

Senator BUNNING. I want to get back to that in a moment, because that is my hang-up. But your passport allowed you to apply

for a Social Security card.

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes

Senator BUNNING. And when you applied for the Social Security

card, the questions you filled out—and as chairman of the Social

Security Subcommittee over in the House, I know exactly the form

that you had to fill out. So you had to falsify your mother’s maiden

name, and all the other things were falsified also, correct?

Mr. HMIMSSA. No, sir.

Senator BUNNING. Correct?

Mr. HMIMSSA. No, sir. I did not falsify my mother’s maiden name

or my father’s name. I gave the information, like on the passport.

But when it came to mother’s maiden name and father’s name, I

did not.

Senator BUNNING. Well, how could your mother’s and father’s

name be different than the passport you came in on?

Mr. HMIMSSA. On the French passport, it did not say the mother’s maiden name.

Senator BUNNING. All right. But your personal name was on the

passport correctly, the false name?

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes, Patrick Vuillaume.

Senator BUNNING. And so when you applied for the Social Security card, you used the false name. Then you filled in the document, applying for the Social Security number, with a false mother’s maiden name.

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes. It did not say anything, so I gave a different

mother’s maiden name. I gave them my real mother’s maiden

name.

Senator BUNNING. We tried very hard to change the rules at the

Social Security Administration that you would never have gotten a

Social Security number had some of the changes we asked for gone

in.

The fact of the matter is, your suggestion of a chip or a fingerprint has been suggested to the Social Security Administration for

the last 10 years that I know of, and none of the advice has been

taken.

We are going to have to pass a law to make it work that requires

them to use chips for identification, and also to use fingerprints on

the document that they send in to get a Social Security card.

Once you get the Social Security card, the whole identity for you

opens up.

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes.

Senator BUNNING. You can go to work, you can get a driver’s license, you can do everything else. So, the Social Security card is

the key card in getting other false documents, correct?

Mr. HMIMSSA. That is right.

23

Senator BUNNING. So maybe my good chairman is listening very

closely to that, that the Social Security card is the key for falsification of all other documents.

So, we have got to make it a heck of a lot tougher on the Social

Security Administration to make sure that illegal aliens that come

into this country with black market passports are not able to just

apply to the Social Security Administration and get a Social Security number because once that has happened, then they can falsify

all other documents.

The CHAIRMAN. I think, Senator Bunning, it is a sad commentary

for me to say. I think we have known that for a long time. Maybe

it takes this hearing, plus everything else that has happened over

the 2 years, to wake up to that.

In our next panel, we will have a chance to ask our own government officials the extent to which they consider that as serious as

what you just said, and whether or not any actions are being taken

accordingly. Obviously, if there are not actions taken accordingly,

you and I would have a responsibility to make sure that those actions do take place.

Senator BUNNING. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

One other question. In your association with this cell, these

members, there were only four other people involved?

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes.

Senator BUNNING. Never more? No stragglers that would come in

and leave? Only four people involved that you lived with?

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes, sir.

Senator BUNNING. Four.

You were captured and incarcerated quite a bit before the cell

leader, then.

Mr. HMIMSSA. That is right.

Senator BUNNING. All right. Thank you very much for your testimony.

Mr. HMIMSSA. You are welcome.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Convertino, is there any clarification on his

being a cell member or associating with the cells that needs to be

clarified based upon the question that Senator Bunning asked?

Mr. CONVERTINO. Mr. Hmimssa disassociated himself with the

members of the Detroit cell soon after he became aware of their activities and their desires, and moved out of the apartment within

a month.

In fact, when he was notified by the cell leader at one point in

time after the initial defendants were arrested to destroy everything that he had in his possession regarding false documentation,

instead of doing such, which would have been easy for Mr.

Hmimssa to do, he took all of the documents that he had, the

fraudulently and falsely created documents that were created by

him and also by Mr. el-Mardoudi, and placed them in a storage

locker in Cedar Rapids. The results of that were that they were

seized and used as evidence against the other defendants.

The CHAIRMAN. All right.

I have one last question, then we will go on to the next panel.

This is to you, Mr. Hmimssa.

24

Did you use the name Colon and the passport that was associated with it to travel, and did you have any problems at ports of

entry?

Mr. HMIMSSA. Yes, sir. I used the passport under the Colon,

Edgardo, which was an American passport, to travel to Morocco,

and came back. I did not have any problems.

The CHAIRMAN. All right.

Just before the panel leaves, I just wondered, is there anything

that you should add, Mr. Convertino, at this point that we have not

asked you, or in regard to anything that Mr. Hmimssa said?

Mr. CONVERTINO. Not that I can think of. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. All right.

I want to thank both of you very much for testifying and answering questions. Mr. Convertino, I think this committee has really

learned something about the dangers of identity fraud and terrorism, and what is at stake.

You also showed that the government can put people who do this

sort of thing behind bars. You did an excellent job on the case and

I am sure your U.S. Attorney, Mr. Collins, and the Attorney General are proud of the victory that you brought in this case.

Mr. Hmimssa, I thank you for testifying here. You did not have

to do this. You chose to cooperate, and that is very much appreciated. Your information also will help this committee understand

the problems of identity and document fraud.

You have evidence of considerable talents in this area. I hope you

put them to really good use, not illegal use, when you are released.

You both are excused, and I thank you for coming. I would tell

everybody, as Mr. Hmimssa leaves the room, stay seated until he

is gone, and would ask that all cameras be turned off and pointed

down.

We will have a brief recess while Mr. Hmimssa leaves. Thank

you. Mr. Convertino, I thank you for coming, too.

[Pause]

The CHAIRMAN. Now I would like to introduce our second panel.

After that, our last two witnesses will testify and answer questions.

First, I would like to introduce Mr. Asa Hutchinson, Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security of the Department of

Homeland Security.

Many of our security problems highlighted by the General Accounting Office fall under Mr. Hutchinson’s jurisdiction, so we are

going to look forward to hearing what he has done to shore things

up.

Mr. Hutchinson, I appreciate very much your coming to the

table.

Next, we have Mr. Robert Cramer of the General Accounting Office’s Office of Special Investigations. He is here to deliver his report. He will be accompanied by Mr. John Cooney and Mr. Ron

Malfi, who will answer questions. Mr. Cramer will testify about a

new report that shows how easy it is to get valid driver’s licenses

under aliases.

The General Accounting Office also has information about how

document fraud revealed major security problems in our governVerDate 11-MAY-2000 16:37 Sep 02, 2004 Jkt 092535 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 92477.000 SFINANC2 PsN: SFINANC2
25

ment, at our borders, airports, gun stores, and sensitive Federal

buildings, including weapon depots.

We also have Mr. James Lockhart, the Deputy Commissioner of

Social Security. Mr. Lockhart will discuss what his agency is doing

to protect Social Security numbers, and hopefully how it is working

with the Department of Motor Vehicles of the various States in the

driver’s license process.

I am glad to see the FBI is here today to be recognized for what

it is doing in the war on terror. The FBI’s primary responsibility

now is counterterrorism, so it is also involved in identity theft and

document fraud.

We will hear from Mr. John Pistole, the Acting Assistant Director of Counterterrorism; last, we will hear from the Inspector’s Office at the Social Security Administration, which serves as both the

internal watchdog and the law enforcement arm.

Mr. Pat O’Carroll, the Assistant Inspector General for Criminal

Investigation, will tell us about what his office is doing to meet the

challenges of ensuring the Social Security numbers’ integrity. I

think he will also demonstrate for us how simple document fraud

can be.

I have asked that each of you keep your testimony to 5 minutes.

You can submit a longer statement for the record.

We are going to start with Mr. Hutchinson. But I have, as normally is the case, when there is a report to be given by the General

Accounting Office, we would allow them some extra time.

So, Mr. Hutchinson, thank you very much for coming. I know you

have changed your schedule to be here for this very important

hearing, and I thank you for doing that and cooperating with the

committee.

STATEMENT OF HON. ASA HUTCHINSON, UNDERSECRETARY

FOR BORDER AND TRANSPORTATION SECURITY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, WASHINGTON, DC

Mr. HUTCHINSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am grateful for

the opportunity to talk about the problem of document fraud.

Clearly, the sophistication of forgers and their technology, and

the increasing use of document fraud, combined, is one of the greatest challenges we face in fighting terrorism.

This year, our Customs and Border Protection inspectors intercepted over 60,000 fraudulent documents at our 300 ports of entry.

The problem, of course, is the volume of acceptable documents that

can be used for identification purposes.

I think one question I know that you are addressing in this hearing is, well, what can be done? And obviously it is important that

individual citizens take appropriate steps to protect their own identity and the documents that they have and rely upon for identification purposes.

Second, though, I think it is important that we as a society review our entry requirements. Whenever you look at the fact that,

presently, there are 240 different types of driver’s licenses from the

various States that can be used for entry documents for U.S. citizens coming back to the United States if they travel to the western

hemisphere.

26

I think it is very significant that Congress has mandated that we

have machine-readable passports that will reduce the reliance simply upon a driver’s license or documents that can be easily forged.

The third thing that I think is important, is that we reduce our

reliance upon documents as the exclusive means of identification

purposes. That is one of the reasons that the Department of Homeland Security, in accordance with Congressional mandate, is working very diligently to implement the U.S. visit program that would

give us the capability to take biometrics from those people that

enter and exit our country. If we can track our foreign visitors

through biometrics, that will reduce the reliance upon simple documents for identification purposes.

If you look, in addition, at the actions, the Department of Homeland Security training is a critical part of the protection, the training that we have for our inspectors.

The fact that Secretary Ridge took the step of unifying our inspection forces will help us and increase our ability to properly

train our inspectors.

Now, Agriculture inspectors, Customs inspectors, Immigration inspectors will all be unified and their training will be enhanced at

the border. We will also train the secondary inspectors to receive

more advanced training on document fraud identification.

Second, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or

ICE, has a very aggressive forensic document lab that gives realtime assistance for the inspectors in the field, provides alerts to the

field. Two of those alerts are demonstrated on the blow-ups for the

committee to look at.

One of them involved an alert referencing stolen blank Filipino

passports. The second one is information on counterfeit in-series

passports that were available in Turkey for $500 each. So, these

are information circulars to our inspectors to help identify fraudulent travel documents.

We have trained over 6,400 enforcement officials around the

world in more expertise and document fraud detection.

Second, our investigations are a critical part of it. Through an

initiative with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of

Virginia, we have joined with the FBI, Social Security, IRS, Department of State, the Postal Service, the Virginia DMV, and others to investigate large immigration, visa, and identification fraud.

Here in the Washington, DC area, we have had an investigation

called Operation Card Shark that goes after the counterfeit of documents in the Adams-Morgan area. To date, we have identified four

document mills that have been closed, and the seizure of close to

2,000 documents with an estimated street value of $155,000. Fifty

aliens have been taken into custody, 30 have been removed, and 15

have been prosecuted. One has been sentenced for 52 months.

In addition, I am very pleased with the initiative of the Bureau

of Customs and Border Protection that has developed an image

storage retrieval system which is a web-based system that provides

40 ports of entry with access to actually the documents that the

alien relies upon, such as the alien registration card, employment

authorization documents, advance parole for Adjustment of Status

forms that are issued by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.

27

So, those documents are entered and are available to the inspectors to compare with the document that the person is actually presenting to see if there is a disparity there. This will be rolled out

in the next fiscal year.

Finally, the Secret Service takes the lead in identity theft, and

they are doing an outstanding job. As a part of the team at Homeland Security, they have developed a video/CD-rom that is available as a resource for local and State law enforcement officers that

they can use in combatting identity crime. All of this is more specifically outlined in my written testimony that I will offer for the

record.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for addressing this serious problem

that poses a threat to our society, the integrity of our system, and

our efforts against terrorism. Thank you.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Hutchinson.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Hutchinson appears in the appendix.]

The CHAIRMAN. Now, Mr. Cramer?

STATEMENT OF ROBERT CRAMER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS; ACCOMPANIED BY JOHN

COONEY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS, AND RON MALFI, DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS, U.S. GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE,

WASHINGTON, DC

Mr. CRAMER. Good morning, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for the

opportunity to summarize today some of the work which the Office

of Special Investigations has performed over the past 3 years which

demonstrates security vulnerabilities that exist because counterfeit

identification can be easily produced and used to create fraudulent

identities.

These tests revealed security weaknesses at Federal buildings

and other facilities, at airports, and at our Nation’s borders. They

also exposed identity fraud vulnerabilities in the Social Security

number application process and in the administration of Federal

gun control laws.

In conducting these tests, we created fictitious identities and

counterfeit identification documents such as driver’s licenses, birth

certificates, and Social Security cards. We did this using inexpensive computer software that is readily available to any purchaser.

One of the boards over there shows reproductions of some of the

counterfeit identification that we created, although the photos of

our agents have been deleted from the reproductions you see before

you.

Our work leads us to three basic conclusions. First, government

officials generally did not recognize the documents that we presented as counterfeits. Second, many government officials were not

alert to the possibility of identity fraud, and some failed to follow

security procedures. Third, identity verification procedures need to

be improved.

Our work reveals that homeland security is vulnerable to identity fraud and, unless action is taken, individuals who intend to

cause harm can easily exploit these vulnerabilities.

28

During each of our tests, we found that government officials did

not recognize that the documents we presented were counterfeit.

For example, during our driver’s license investigation, we used

counterfeit driver’s licenses to obtain genuine driver’s licenses in

seven States and the District of Columbia.

Motor vehicle department employees did not recognize out-ofState driver’s licenses we presented as counterfeits and issued the

genuine licenses to our investigators.

During our border security investigation in which we used counterfeit driver’s licenses and birth certificates to enter the United

States from various western hemisphere countries, border inspectors never questioned the authenticity of the documents that our

investigators presented and they had no difficulty entering the

United States.

In another test, we obtained Social Security numbers for fictitious children when investigators posed as parents of newborns and

submitted counterfeit birth certificates and baptismal certificates.

Additionally, we breached the security of airports and Federal office buildings, even driving a rented van into the courtyard of the

Department of Justice, because no one questioned the authenticity

of our counterfeit identification. These results point to the need for

training of government personnel in recognizing counterfeit identification documents.

We also discovered that many government officials were not alert

to the possibility of identity fraud, and some failed to follow security procedures. For example, we found that some security personnel did not look at photo identification.

As a result, officials allowed one of our agents, who presented

identification containing the photo of another person, to enter a

Federal building in Atlanta. Another investigator entered a Federal

building and obtained a building pass and an after-hours access

code from security personnel who did not follow procedures to

verify his identity.

In addition, this investigator was able to obtain a building pass

that identified him as a law enforcement officer and permitted him

to bring a firearm into that building.

Another investigator presented a counterfeit building pass to a

security officer and obtained from the officer an access code that

could be used to enter the building after working hours.

Additionally, even motor vehicle department employees who recognized irregularities in the documents we presented were not alert

to the possibility of identity fraud.

For example, one employee noticed that the date of birth on an

investigator’s counterfeit birth certificate did not match the birth

date assigned to the Social Security number that he provided.

Another employee questioned the validity of an investigator’s

birth certificate because of the texture of the paper and because it

did not contain a seal. In each instance, however, employees who

saw these irregularities returned the documents to our investigators.

In at least one of the States we visited, motor vehicle department

employees are required to confiscate documents they believe to be

fraudulent and alert other State driver’s license offices. However,

the employees failed to do this.

29

Our work clearly points to the need for improved identity

verification procedures. For example, current procedures followed

by border inspectors and firearms dealers often consist of what we

call a negative check. That is, a database is queried for information

about the specific name that is submitted.

This process reveals whether the database contains information

about the name submitted, but does not verify the identity of the

license applicant or the authenticity of the license presented.

When we purchased firearms from licensed firearms dealers

using counterfeit driver’s licenses, the majority of firearms dealers

we contacted complied with laws governing such purchases, including the need for an instant background check.

However, the instant background check only discloses whether

the prospective purchaser is a person whose possession of a firearm

would be unlawful. Consequently, if the prospective purchaser is

using a fictitious identity, as our investigators did, an instant background check is not effective.

Our border security tests pointed to the same problem. Because

immigration regulations do not require U.S. citizens traveling from

countries in the western hemisphere to present a passport when

entering the United States, people entering from those countries

commonly present driver’s licenses to the border inspectors.

However, border inspectors have only very limited means of

checking with the States to verify identity or to determine whether

a driver’s license is authentic.

In summary, while some of the problems our tests revealed have

been addressed by the responsible agencies, much remains to be

done. A driver’s license is the most commonly accepted document

used to identify an individual.

The weaknesses we found during these investigations clearly

show that border inspectors, motor vehicle departments, and firearms dealers need to have the means to verify identity and to determine whether driver’s licenses presented to them are authentic.

Improved verification procedures could minimize vulnerabilities

that arise when government officials do not recognize counterfeit

documents or are not alert to the possibility of identity fraud.

In addition, there is a need for training of government officials

who review identification in the recognition of counterfeit documents. These officials also need to be more vigilant for identification fraud.

The other chart which appears here is a brief timeline of the various tests that we performed and which I have described here

today.

Mr. Chairman, that completes my statement. We will be very

happy to answer any questions which you may have.

The CHAIRMAN. All right. Thank you.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Cramer appears in the appendix.]

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Lockhart?

30

STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES LOCKHART, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, BALTIMORE,

MD

Mr. LOCKHART. Mr. Chairman, thank you for asking me here

today to discuss issues surrounding document fraud, identity theft,

and misuse of Social Security numbers.

Although the Social Security number started just as a means to

track earnings in the 1930’s, it has become the single most widely

used identifier for Federal and State governments, as well as the

private sector.

As uses of the number have increased, especially in the private

sector, so has the potential for misuse. The tragic events of September 11th brought home the need to strengthen Social Security

number safeguards.

Commissioner Barnhart and I have made this a major agency

priority. Social Security’s key role is to ensure the integrity of what

we call the numeration process, and especially the 18 million cards

issued annually, and, second, to help verify Social Security numbers.

We have made a number of significant enhancements in the last

2 years and are continuing to improve these safeguards.

In the fall of 2001, Social Security formed a high-level team to

strengthen our ability to prevent criminals from using Social Security numbers and cards to advance their activities.

Let me briefly review some of our efforts to date. First, we quickly began to retrain all of our employees on the rules for enumerating individuals, and we concentrated especially on non-citizens.

On July 1, 2002, we began to verify for Department of Homeland

Security, or its predecessor, INS, any documents issued by them

before assigning a Social Security number.

We now have an ‘‘Enumeration and Entry’’ process administered

jointly with the Department of State, that assigns numbers and

issues cards to selected non-citizens, allowing them to enter the

country as permanent residents.

We have also revised our verification process for young children.

Although the vast majority of children receive a Social Security

number through what we call our ‘‘Enumeration at Birth’’ program,

the parents may still apply through the local Social Security office.

In June of 2002, we began verifying all birth certificates for children over age one.

Social Security is leading a new government project known as ‘‘EVital’’, to compile and verify death and birth records electronically.

We opened a Social Security Card Center in Brooklyn to bring a

tighter overall focus to assigning Social Security numbers.

Our employees work with those in the Inspector General and the

Department of Homeland Security. The results have been very encouraging and we are considering adding additional card centers.

We have drafted a regulation to stop assigning Social Security

numbers to non-citizens for the purpose of applying for driver’s licenses. That reinstates a policy that was overturned by a court this

year.

Turning to the subject of Social Security number verification, we

currently provide over 770 million verifications a year. That is almost three verifications for every active card.

31

Requests continue to grow rapidly. Users include employers who

verify their new hires, and a full range of government agencies, including law enforcement agencies.

It is important to remember that, when we receive a request for

verification, all we can really verify is whether the information included in the request—the name, the Social Security number, and

the date of birth—matches the information in our records. It is no

guarantee that the person presenting that number is, in fact, the

person to whom it was originally issued.

Since 1997, Social Security has worked to provide a verification

service tailored specifically for the departments of motor vehicles in

the States. Our online verification service enables them to request

verification while processing a driver’s license application. Requests

are processed in one second or less for over 90 percent of the requests.

In 2004, we expect to process almost 20 million verification requests, which will more than triple this year’s number. We now

have 34 States signed up for this online system, of which 22 are

active users.

The online system provides verification information to the DMV

while the driver’s license applicant is still at the counter, unlike

the ‘‘batch’’ system referred to in the GAO report, which is only

used by seven States.

Also, unlike the online system, the batch system does not provide

a death indicator. We are committed to expanding the online service because we believe it is the best way to improve the integrity

of the licensing system.

In conclusion, we believe that the improvements we have implemented make it much more difficult for individuals to obtain or use

Social Security numbers through fraud.

I cannot over-emphasize our commitment to strengthening the

integrity of the Social Security enumeration and verification processes and to work with other agencies with the goal of thwarting

identity crimes that burden Americans and threaten the security of

our Nation.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Lockhart.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Lockhart appears in the appendix.]

The CHAIRMAN. Now, Mr. Pistole?

STATEMENT OF JOHN S. PISTOLE, ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, COUNTERTERRORISM DIVISION, FEDERAL BUREAU OF

INVESTIGATION, WASHINGTON, DC

Mr. PISTOLE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

On behalf of the FBI, I want to thank you for the opportunity

to be here today to talk about identity theft and document fraud

as it relates to counterterrorism issues.

Unfortunately, last week’s article in a local Washington periodical was not uncommon when it spoke about three Virginia men

who filed numerous fraudulent labor certificates on behalf of Korean immigrants, and then used the bogus documents to obtain

green cards to remain illegally in the U.S.

32

One of the defendants in that investigation used a fake Social Security account number to obtain credit cards, bank accounts, and

a driver’s license.

The Federal Trade Commission, just last week, released a survey

on identity theft and stated the problem is far worse than officials

had believed. Last year, identity theft cost consumers more than $5

billion in expenses, while costing banks and other businesses over

$48 billion.

As the committee is well aware, the FBI, along with a number

of other Federal agencies here at the table, as long with the State

and local members through the Joint Terrorism Task Forces, investigate while the Department of Justice prosecutes individuals who

use those identities and document fraud to perpetrate crimes.

There are a number of Federal statutes, as the committee is

aware, on bank fraud, credit card fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud,

money laundering and so forth, so there are some tools there.

But, as we know, document fraud and identity fraud has been,

is, and will continue to be a problem for the U.S. Government, especially when it comes to terrorism matters.

It is not a new issue to the intelligence community or law enforcement. Many folks in the hearing room may be familiar with

the book and movie, ‘‘Catch Me If You Can’’ by Frank Avignale,

who was a master forger 25, 30 years ago in the U.S. who was able

to use fraudulent documents to go on a spree across the United

States and overseas for several years, until he was tracked down,

both as an airline pilot, impersonating a doctor, a lawyer, any number of different professions.

For decades, fugitives have changed identities to avoid capture,

and check forgers have assumed the identity of others to negotiate

stolen and counterfeit checks.

What is critical today is the pervasiveness of the problem and

the use by terrorist of these stolen documents or fraudulent documents. The FBI does not view document fraud and identity theft

as a separate and distinct crime problem.

Rather, we see identity theft and document fraud as a component

of many types of crimes which we investigate along with our partners, especially in the Department of Homeland Security.

There have been a number of advances in different types of hardware and software which are in my written statement that I will

submit for the record. We will not go into those at this time.

Let me just give the committee a couple of examples of some terrorist matters where document fraud has been a problem. The al

Qaeda terrorist cell in Spain used stolen credit cards and fictitious

sales scams for numerous other purchases for the cell.

They kept those purchases below levels where identification

would be required. They also used stolen telephone credit cards for

communications back to countries that supported terrorism at that

time where terrorist cells were located. Extensive use of travel documents and false passports were used by that cell.

While the 9/11 hijackers did not utilize fraudulent identification,

they did obtain U.S. identification cards in their names. If I could

just correct the record on a statement made previously, there was

only one of the hijackers, Zia Jara, who actually had a legitimate

33

Virginia driver’s license. There were six other hijackers who had

Virginia identification cards, but not a driver’s license.

The hijackers were here, obviously, under terms much different

than post-9/11 scrutiny. We believe that they would not be able, obviously, to operate with the impunity that they did at this time.

There have also been some domestic terrorists who have used

false identity. Again, those are in my record. The one I will point

out is Timothy McVeigh, obviously, responsible for the Oklahoma

City Murrah Federal Building bomb on April 19, 1995. When arrested and searches conducted, Timothy McVeigh had nine aliases,

different false identification.

We also have some other examples from some of the detainees

from Afghanistan and elsewhere who we have interviewed. I will

give a couple of examples. A Pakistani detainee who served as a

doctor and a guard for the Taliban was detained at JFK Airport

for attempting to enter the U.S. on a forged passport.

An Iraqi detainee purchased a false Moroccan passport for approximately $150 U.S., and used it to enter Turkey, where he was

arrested. An Algerian detainee requested asylum in Canada after

entering that country on a false passport. There are several other

examples which are in my written testimony.

The FBI has implemented a number of initiatives to address the

various fraud schemes being utilized by terrorists to fund these terrorist activities. One involves targeting fraud schemes being committed by loosely organized groups, which may then fund terrorist

cells either knowing or unwittingly, simply a matter of business for

them.

Many of these groups may not be, themselves, terrorists, but

then the proceeds are used for terrorist activity. There are other

examples listed in my written statement which I will submit for

the record.

There is also an initiative which we are working with the Social

Security Administration on to identify fraudulent Social Security

identification cards and numbers through which we are able to assess the authenticity, and then through various means, determine

whether those may be used by terrorists. Again, details are in my

written statement.

I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to be

here today.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Pistole.

Now, Mr. O’Carroll?

STATEMENT OF PATRICK O’CARROLL, ASSISTANT INSPECTOR

GENERAL FOR INVESTIGATIONS, OFFICE OF INSPECTOR

GENERAL, SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, BALTIMORE

MARYLAND

Mr. O’CARROLL. Good morning, Chairman Grassley and Senator

Lincoln. Thank you for the invitation to this important hearing.

Social Security number misuse, identity theft, and their correlation to Homeland Security has a very personal meaning to me. Two

years ago on 9/11, I was in New York City and watched the Twin

Towers collapse.

34

Since then, the SSN’s role as a national identifier has solidified.

You have my statement for the record. Now I would like to discuss

several issues that I think are important.

First, let me discuss identity theft and the SSN. In many cases,

identity theft begins with the misuse of a SSN. The SSN can be

obtained in many ways: presenting false documentation to SSA;

stealing another person’s SSN; purchasing one on the black market; using the SSN of a deceased individual; or, creating a ninedigit number out of thin air.

The fraudulent SSN is then used in conjunction with counterfeit

identity documents; such as those on display on the table in front

of you, and on the video where we are demonstrating the ease in

which counterfeiting visa documents can be done. This demonstration was done in a matter of minutes using seized templates, PCs,

and printers.

Misused SSNs, stolen or misappropriated birth certificates, and

false or fraudulently obtained driver’s licenses are the keys to identity theft in the United States. We investigate thousands of SSN

fraud and identity theft cases every year.

We often find the criminals have not only stolen or forged SSNs,

but have stolen or forged driver’s licenses as well. Because of this,

we continue to work closely with law enforcement agencies and the

American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators to enhance

the integrity of the driver’s license.

Now I will discuss our role and that of the SSN in Homeland Security. Our Office of Investigations involvement in Homeland Security began on 9/11. Our agents assisted in the rescue efforts and

site security at the World Trade Center.

Immediately after the attacks, we assigned supervisors and

agents to the FBI command centers in New York City, New Jersey,

and Washington, DC to process information and to investigate

leads. We are members in almost 100 Joint Terrorism and AntiTerrorism Task Forces and have participated in over 130 Department of Justice sponsored Homeland Security projects focused on

the Nation’s critical infrastructures, including 63 airports and 24

nuclear facilities.

These projects resulted in over 1,200 arrests. Our Office of Counsel has detailed attorneys to U.S. Attorneys’ offices to assist in SSN

prosecutions. Our Des Moines and our Detroit field offices were actively involved in the investigation of the earlier witness, Youssef

Hmimssa.

In addition to several other charges, he was charged with, and

plead guilty to, conspiracy to obtain false Social Security numbers.

According to a Syracuse University report, in the year following

9/11, nearly half of the terrorism prosecutions were initiated by

SSA OIG and the now Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (BICE). We continue to work closely with BICE and

other Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies.

In addition, our Office of Audit has devoted much of its efforts

to SSN integrity and Homeland Security. In fiscal year 2000, we

estimated that SSA issued at least 63,000 SSNs to non-citizens

based on invalid and fraudulent immigration documents.

We stressed that it is critical that SSA aggressively verify the

authenticity of documents. Last year, SSA issued approximately 18

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million original and replacement SSNs. The sheer magnitude of

this number causes us concern over the possibility of fraud.

I am a member of SSA’s Enumeration Task Force that addresses

these concerns and others, including non-work SSNs and 100 percent verification of documents. These changes will deter individuals

like Mr. Hmimssa from obtaining a legitimate SSN with fraudulent

documents. We are also moving to establish an OIG SSN Integrity

Protection Team to further combat SSN misuse and identity theft.

Mr. Chairman, in summary, all law enforcement agencies need

the same SSN cross-verification capabilities currently available to

employers. Legislation requiring mandatory cross-verification of

identification data between governmental, financial, and commercial holders of records and SSA on a reoccurring basis is essential.

The House now has H.R. 2971, which would enhance the Social

Security Act by limiting the use and display of SSNs in circulation

in the public and private sector, placing restrictions on the

issuance of replacement cards; and strengthening the present arsenal of criminal, civil, and administrative penalties to deter and/or

punish identity thieves and those who assist them.

Identity fraud counterfeit documents and SSN misuse are growing threats to both our economic health and Homeland Security.

We appreciate your interest in these issues and look forward to

working with you to enhance the physical safety and financial security of all Americans.

Mr. Chairman, again, thank you for your concern and your attention, and I will be happy to answer any questions.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you.

[The prepared statement of Mr. O’Carroll appears in the appendix.]

The CHAIRMAN. I am going to concentrate my questions in the

beginning on the General Accounting Office, as well as Mr. Hutchinson, because we promised Mr. Hutchinson, who needs to leave

early, that we would accommodate that.

So I am going to start out by saying that we heard that the General Accounting Office had a lot to say about different security

problems that stem from document and identity fraud.

I would go to you, Mr. Malfi, with your law enforcement background. Could you put this in perspective and string these operations together for what they could mean for a terrorist group?

Mr. MALFI. Basically, if you take the operations that we conducted, string them out in order, not chronologically the way we

did them but in order to show a mission, we were able to successfully sneak into the country using fictitious names and false identification on the counterfeit documents.

From those counterfeit documents, we were able to turn those

and use those as breeder documents to turn them into legitimate

documents, driver’s licenses, to establish a true and legitimate

identity within the United States.

Based on that, we were able to obtain firearms and we had access to Federal buildings. So, I guess if you draw the string out,

you can see what damage could be done if these things were done

in that order and for a reason that was not to test the security, but

to damage it.

36

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Hutchinson, I ask this question in light of

the fact that we all have to be realistic. You are in a new department with a new drive to protect the homeland. But as I see it, as

I think we would all agree, it is a pretty scary scenario laid out

here.

Your directorate is in charge of a lot of the areas that Mr. Malfi

just talked about, especially borders and airports, or maybe everything that the whole General Accounting Office report deals with.

If the GAO could do all of these things, how can we be sure that

your department can stop terrorists from doing it?

Mr. HUTCHINSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The GAO certainly

pointed up some areas of great concern. The investigation was completed prior to the stand-up of the department and bringing on the

22 agencies. But I will certainly recognize that it is a problem that

is ongoing, and a concern that we have today.

I think the American public should be assured, first of all, that

the steps that Secretary Ridge took in combining our inspection

forces on the border will enhance our training capability and will

be able to do a better job.

There are two things that I think are important for Congress and

the administration to work on together. One, is a continued implementation of the U.S. visit in which we can have biometric capability for entry into our country and exit that will assure an identity and will help us to avoid this type of document fraud.

Second, I think that we have to look at the 240 different types

of State driver’s licenses that our inspectors are expected to be expert on. Do we need to have more restricted travel documents on

which we can focus our training, we can focus our security measures on? So, those are policy changes as well as implementation

that we will continue to work with Congress to carry out.

The CHAIRMAN. Well, then to follow up and to be more specific

in my question to you, could you assure the committee that all

these areas are all now secure, and the General Accounting Office

could not penetrate those as they have demonstrated that they

have in the past?

Mr. HUTCHINSON. Can I guarantee that each one of our 45,000

inspectors along the border could detect every driver’s license that

was presented as to whether it is a legitimate driver’s license or

a fraudulent driver’s license? I cannot give the committee that assurance.

Obviously, we are working every day to have training to eliminate the fraud and to detect the fraud, but we are addressing it

both in terms of the training, examination of policy, whether we

should require more stringent requirements. We need to work with

Congress on that.

Then, third, the implementation of a biometric feature. But until

we address those issues in a broad fashion, document fraud will

continue to be a problem for us.

The CHAIRMAN. Let me suggest to you that if you are not sure

that it can be done, we will soon find out. I know that the General

Accounting Office has operations under way, so we are going to

find out if they can be penetrated.

37

Let me say to you, just as a final reminder, that I know your

mission is very difficult. It is vitally important. But if the General

Accounting Office can do this, obviously terrorists can do it.

Let me ask you this question, Mr. Hutchinson. I know that the

issuing of driver’s licenses is a function of State government, but

it also is a homeland security issue, and as we have seen, a big vulnerability.

If your department can work with State and local first responders, I am sure that you could work with the Department of Motor

Vehicle offices. Could you tell me if your department is working

with States to shore this up, and if so, what has been done thus

far?

Mr. HUTCHINSON. We are certainly encouraging more restrictive

use of State driver’s licenses, more security features, and we are

trying to develop our capability to have more security features as

these are presented at our borders. So, we are working with them.

We pledge to work more aggressively with them. But simultaneously with that, we have to look at our policy issues and less reliance upon these documents.

Mr. Chairman, I understand that GAO might be out there presenting fraudulent documents. But the policy right now is that they

do not even have to present a document.

If they come in and an inspector is satisfied that they are U.S.

citizens by oral declaration, they can be admitted under our

present policy. A driver’s license, as a matter of policy, is looked at.

But there is a serious examination of these overriding policies that

we want to engage in as well.

The CHAIRMAN. I will ask Senator Lincoln if she has questions

of Mr. Hutchinson before he goes. Then we will save the other

questions for the next round.

Senator LINCOLN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your

focus on such an important issue.

Really, my questions have just focused on two areas. I would like

to address it to all the panels and, Mr. Hutchinson, give you an opportunity to make some comments.

I think one of the biggest concerns that many of us have had, is

that one of the major issues that we found wrong with our Nation’s

homeland security prior to 9/11 was a real lack of communication

between our agencies, some of them operating with 1970’s technology and the inability to really communicate in an efficient way

among themselves. Thus, we have the creation of the Homeland Security Department.

I guess one of the things, in light of what we found from the

GAO study or investigation, was something as simple as open and

utilized lines of communication can really be a very cheap and efficient measure to stop some of the terrorists and criminals from obtaining documents in the first place.

I guess my question is, how much improvement have we seen in

those lines of communication, and where have you all been really

focusing your efforts in opening up those lines of communications?

And not so much as you have focused on the borders, Mr. Hutchinson, but in States like mine, what are the communications with

those DMVs, what kind of training is occurring in States or being

provided to States for those to train and education Federal and

38

State employees, I think, about ensuring that positively identified

individuals are coming in. How do we train them to do that in a

better way?

So, if you would like to answer those, I would be very grateful.

Mr. HUTCHINSON. Well, thank you, Senator Lincoln. Yes, that is

a mandate of this department and a major goal is to increase the

lines of communication. We are doing this, first of all, by developing secure communication capabilities with the governments, the

homeland security directors of each State, regular communications

with them.

Second, we are certainly trying to make available additional information for the trooper on I–40 as they pull over an individual

so that they would have information. If they are someone under a

Final Order of Removal, immigration status information, if it is relevant to the stop, and it is appropriate for NCIC registration.

We are, in addition, certainly trying to increase our communication with the private sector and our State and local outreach. Congress, particularly, gave us the State and local coordinator to work

with the States on things such as motor vehicle registration and

driver’s license issues.

So, we are continuing to improve on those communications.

There is much work to do, but much progress has been made.

Senator LINCOLN. Well, if you had to give an estimate in terms

of how far along you were in improving those lines of communication, I know that in our State with a simple grant—I can talk to

Mr. Hutchinson because he is a native Arkansan, and we are proud

of that.

But in our State we were able to get a grant for the Sheriff’s Association to really build a very, I think, state-of-the-art communication system on a web-based initiative which has hooked up all 75

of our counties, our sheriffs, along with our State troopers, our

local law enforcement officers. They now can connect with about

eight or nine other States to those kind of background checks and

really do a good job at that.

If you had to give it a guess in terms of a percentage, how far

along are we in communicating with States the availability of those

kinds of projects where we could really interconnect a lot of different groups, not just law enforcement, but also some of these

other areas where we could do some better background checks?

Mr. HUTCHINSON. Well, whenever you look at the Department of

Homeland Security, our first responsibility was to get the communication systems united for the 22 agencies that came on board.

Then you have the examination of the various watch lists from

the different departments, from the Department of State, Department of Justice, and Homeland Security. That is an aggressive initiative that we are carrying out. And then the information with the

States. So, all of those are moving simultaneously along a very aggressive track.

I can cite anecdotal information as to how it has improved with

our States. We have put additional information into the NCI system that is available to them. We have developed the information

sharing capability in terms of what we receive at the border information and through the law enforcement alert.

39

Probably the greatest one is through the Joint Terrorism Task

Forces of the FBI. That is really the link for the law enforcement

communication and sharing of intelligence information, and I think

it is working very effectively.

Senator LINCOLN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you, Mr. Hutchinson. We will let you be

dismissed now.

Mr. HUTCHINSON. Thank you for your courtesies, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. And thank you for your courtesy of rearranging

your schedule to be with us.

I am going to go to Mr. Pistole. Could you talk about what the

FBI is doing with the State Department of Motor Vehicles, whether

it is working with them, or sometimes investigating their employees? I know there have been media reports recently about the FBI

investigations of DMV offices.

Mr. PISTOLE. Yes, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. We typically work

with State DMVs in a collaborative effort where they predicate information, for example, a suspect transaction or series of transactions, which leads them to believe, for example, that one of their

employees may be engaged in fraudulent activity, either on behalf

of a friend or for payment.

In those situations, as in the situation that you mentioned, we

will then work in an undercover capacity with that Department of

Motor Vehicles to investigate, and then eventually prosecute with

Department of Justice, any individuals found to be engaging in

that activity.

We have done that successfully, I know, in Virginia. There have

been investigations in Michigan, and there have been several others that are still pending that I cannot comment on right now. But

we do typically work in a collaborative effort, typically through our

Joint Terrorism Task Force in that area.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. O’Carroll, would you please tell us how your

agency would coordinate with the Department of Motor Vehicles on

law enforcement issues?

Mr. O’CARROLL. Yes, Mr. Chairman. We are in negotiations right

now with AAMVA on getting the ‘‘no matches’’ from them. Currently, when the verification of the SSN is done by the State with

SSA, there is nothing being done with those SSNs that do not

match.

AAMVA will refer the ‘‘no match’’ SSNs to us. We are going to

do a pilot program to see what this volume will be and what we

can do in terms of a law enforcement response.

The CHAIRMAN. And Mr. Lockhart, I know that the Social Security Administration works with DMVs by providing verification

services. It is my understanding that is in about half of the States.

But the General Accounting Office had testimony in July highlighting some loopholes. So my question is, what is being done

about those loopholes within, or even beyond, the half of the States

that do not provide it?

Mr. LOCKHART. Mr. Chairman, yes, we are working with AAMVA

and the various State Department of Motor Vehicles. Unfortunately, about 29 States are still not using either of our systems,

and obviously the most important thing is to get the States to start

using them.

40

Our major system is an online verification system that we started in 1997 with the States. Right now, 22 States are using it and

another 12 are signed up for it. This is online, so it is real-time.

Clerks at the DMVs can go into our system and verify the name,

date of birth, and Social Security number within seconds. We really

think that is a very effective way to go and we want to bring it out

to all the States.

We have another system, called a batch system, as they referred

to in their testimony, that does not have all the capabilities of the

online system. First of all, it takes 24 to 48 hours to get the information. Also, it does not track to our death file.

So, what we are trying to do is encourage the States to use the

online system, but we will be looking at adding the death match

capability to our batch system.

The CHAIRMAN. So you are working on people who have died,

that there is a list of those people.

Mr. LOCKHART. We have that. There is a list that the State

motor vehicles and anybody can buy of 70 million names of people

and Social Security numbers that are dead. They have the capability to get it separately. But in the batch system, it is not there.

But the important thing is, in the online system, that capability is

there and, again, it is available real-time.

The CHAIRMAN. Yes.

And Mr. Cramer, what has the General Accounting Office then

found about information sharing and verification between Department of Motor Vehicles and the Social Security Administration?

Are these agencies using negative checks and positive checks?

Mr. CRAMER. For the most part, the identification/verification

procedures are negative checks. By that, I mean a name or other

identifying information is put into the database. If that database

has information about that name or other identifying information,

then it will provide that to the inquirer.

The problem, though, is if, for example, as our investigators did,

if you are using a fictitious identity and there is no information in

that database about your fictitious identity, then the verification

will not be effective.

This happened with the gun dealers, for example. They go onto

the database, which tells the names of those people who cannot buy

guns, it would be unlawful. But our investigators had fictitious

identities and their names were popped in, and of course nothing

came back. So, it does not work. That kind of problem exists in

many of these verification procedures.

Mr. LOCKHART. Mr. Chairman, I would like to point out with the

online verification system, to get a match the DMV has to submit

the name, Social Security number and the date of birth. So, it is

a positive identification match.

The CHAIRMAN. All right.

Mr. Pistole, I would like to ask you about the number of terrorism cases that the FBI has been working on since the attack of

9/11. Could you tell me how many FBI terrorism investigations

have led to terrorism charges and how many of those have led to

either conviction by jury, plea bargains, or acquittal?

Mr. PISTOLE. Mr. Chairman, I will have to estimate. I was not

anticipating that question, so let me just try to estimate here.

41

In terms of convictions, there have been at least 20 individuals

who have been convicted of terrorism-related charges since 9/11 in

the U.S. through the Department of Justice. Many more than that

have been charged and are awaiting, either trial, or plea agreements.

For example, in Northern Virginia here, there is a group of 11

that have been indicted, some of whom have entered guilty pleas,

some of whom there will be either superseding indictments brought

against, or additional persons charged.

But we have had, as the committee is aware, individuals, the

Lackawanna six in Buffalo, there have been individuals in Portland, Detroit, and other areas around the country who have already been found guilty.

In terms of the number of investigations, I was not clear whether

you were asking how many we have pending now, or were you simply focusing on the number of convictions and people charged?

The CHAIRMAN. Well, one of the things I would like to have you

respond to is whether or not there have been any other FBI terrorism cases that have led to jury convictions besides the Detroit

case.

Mr. PISTOLE. I do not believe so. I believe all the other convictions have been by guilty plea. I will check on that to be sure.

The CHAIRMAN. All right. And correct it if it needs correcting.

Mr. Cramer, based on what you have heard the prisoner testify

about before, does anything he said about making false documents

surprise you or is this what you expected?

Mr. CRAMER. It is pretty much what I expected, Senator. Nothing

really surprises us at this point. The only thing that continues to

surprise us, is that it really is so easy to do this. One of the problems that we have not addressed, I know the Social Security system does do a positive check.

In one sense, if I steal someone’s identity, I have their true

name, Social Security number, and date of birth and I create a

counterfeit document with that information, then I can use that,

bring it into a motor vehicle department that does check with Social Security and it will pass. It will be fine, because that is a true

person. It is not me. Now I have an identification, a true identification document issued in someone else’s name. So, that is just another piece of this.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. O’Carroll, I thought your presentation about

fraudulent visas was very good, and it was probably almost too

good. But what can a law enforcement agency like yours and the

FBI do to stop people like Hmimssa from making these documents?

I would also ask Mr. Pistole, when he is done, to answer on the

same subject, and then that is my last question.

Mr. O’CARROLL. Mr. Chairman, one of the things that we feel

would be the best way to prevent this would be cross-verification.

We are currently doing 100 percent verification with BICE. If anybody uses a visa, we are checking the underlying documents and

also verifying the information on the documents with another agency. That way, we will be able to determine whether or not the visa

was counterfeit.

We feel that by this comparison of information on the visa and

the sharing of information between law enforcement agencies, we

42

should have a much better chance of being able to verify the underlying documents and prevent the counterfeiting of them.

The CHAIRMAN. How about you, Mr. Pistole?

Mr. PISTOLE. Yes, Mr. Chairman. I would agree with what Mr.

O’Carroll stated, in addition to, I think, the two-prong approach of

improvements in technology to get away from a documents-driven

verification system and get into biometrics and different aspects

there, coupled with the information sharing from the law enforcement and intelligence community’s perspective domestically

through the Joint Terrorism Task Forces.

I think, as this committee is aware, we have created a National

Joint Terrorism Task force with 32 Federal agencies and State

agencies on it here in DC. We have 66 Joint Terrorism Task Forces

around the country, with another 26 being created.

It is through that sharing of information that I think we stand

the best chance of succeeding in this war on terrorism.

The CHAIRMAN. Senator Lincoln, do you have any questions?

Senator LINCOLN. Mr. Chairman, just two, briefly, if I could.

You spoke about cross-verification, Mr. O’Carroll. I am curious.

I guess, Mr. Chairman, if I may ask for unanimous consent to include my opening statement in the record, as well as any questions.

Particularly, there was one left for Mr. Hutchinson that I did not

get to ask, which is basically on that issue of cross-verification.

The CHAIRMAN. Without objection.

[The prepared statement and questions of Senator Lincoln appear in the appendix.]

Senator LINCOLN. In terms of improving the communication

among agencies, cross-verification can make a difference. We were

trying to communicate among different agencies.

Is the communication that we are building, hopefully in a more

state-of-the-art and up-to-date mode among these different agencies

something that is going to be able to cross-reference?

I know that one of the biggest problems we found in dealing with

building our research piece for our Sheriff’s Association was, unless

it was web-based and unless we were able to use the same modes

of communication—I am not a computer specialist, but to best understand it, the same computer language—we were not going to be

able to share that information with other States.

So, as we began to build what we were doing, we had to change

the whole level of our system of management computer-wise in

terms of the information we were storing in order to be able to

interconnect with other States, because as criminals crossed our

borders, we wanted to know and be able to assist other law enforcement officers and agencies in other States.

Now that we are on a web-based system, we can now interconnect with nine other States. Hopefully, that system is growing

so that we can connect. But in this cross-verification, these agencies, are we all building these new systems in a way that they are

going to be able to inter-communicate?

Mr. O’CARROLL. Senator, the specific computer systems that are

used by the States and agencies is not my area of expertise.

I can say, on a Federal level, from agency to agency, we are having a difficult time comparing information. There are so many difVerDate 11-MAY-2000 16:37 Sep 02, 2004 Jkt 092535 PO 00000 Frm 00046 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 92477.000 SFINANC2 PsN: SFINANC2
43

ferent systems, so many different sets of records. It is a Herculean

task even on the Federal level.

We are recommending, just as you mentioned, bringing it down

to the State level, and even bringing it into the financial community, to start taking a look at the bank records and the information

individuals are providing when they are opening up bank accounts.

I think you have recognized the problem. It is going to be a long,

hard road to be able to come up with interconnecting information

sources to go back and forth. But we have to start down that road

now or else we will never be able to solve it.

Senator LINCOLN. Well, I certainly hope that out of this hearing

and the work that we can do in conjunction with the agencies, from

our standpoint, is to encourage as we do improve and modernize

agencies with better communications, that we think far enough

into the future that we provide them with an ability, or certainly

the levels of communication that are going to work among agencies,

across State lines, across State and Federal lines, and other things

like that. Because without that ability, any kind of improvements

we make are still going to keep us back in the Dark Ages. So, I

will certainly include that in my request to Mr. Hutchinson for his

responses as well.

The other question I had to you, Mr. O’Carroll, is really, what

training and education is being done from your standpoint, Federal

and State employees, about ensuring that they positively identify

those seeking original documents? Are you reaching out into the

States and working with some of these people on the local level,

training?

Mr. O’CARROLL. Senator, at the moment, we have not gotten to

the State level. We are currently training and educating Social Security employees. We have been meeting with the State Department and with different Homeland Security organizations. We have

also been dealing very heavily with the former INS, which is now

BICE.

We have training sessions on document recognition for all of our

agents, and we have been rolling that out, with the cooperation of

Social Security, to each of the Social Security district offices and

trying to train all SSA employees on how to recognize counterfeit

documents.

But, unfortunately, what we are finding out, and as you can see

from the documents we have as evidence in front of us, in many

cases the counterfeit passport or counterfeit document looks better

than the genuine. With the technology out there today, it is almost

an impossible task to certify what documents are genuine or counterfeit.

Mr. LOCKHART. Senator Lincoln, from a Social Security standpoint, yes, we are working with our Inspector General to train our

employees on document verification. But I think the critical thing

is, now we are actually verifying them with the Department of

Homeland Security, that we are not relying on our employees to

look at a document and tell if it is genuine or not.

We access their computer system and we can check online whether the document has been issued by the Department of Homeland

Security. If it has not, we actually then send a copy of the document to the DHS to get them to verify it.

44

Senator LINCOLN. Were none of these documents of the nature

that they would have gone through that process?

Mr. LOCKHART. Visas would go through the process. The visa

story we heard earlier today happened before we put in this process, which is about a year old.

Mr. O’CARROLL. One final point to add to what Mr. Lockhart

said. We are also verifying birth certificates. That is another major

breeder document that is often counterfeited. We are going back to

the States of record to verify that the birth certificate is legitimate,

which is a big step in the right direction.

Senator LINCOLN. Is there anything that any of you gentlemen

can add to what has already been talked about, which is we know

it is easier to do a negative check on an individual than a positive?

Is there anything that you think stands out of where we are

doing more in the form of a positive check to positively determine

that an individual is who they say they are, or any recommendations on how we improve on those positive checks? Yes, sir?

Mr. COONEY. Senator Lincoln, in the case of the driver’s licenses,

every DMV that we went into, not one of the employees could identify the breeder license that we were using as being counterfeit.

We think that a simple fix would be to allow them to make a

positive ID check by having access to the States, the different

States, that they could verify that the license presented to them is

an authentic license.

Senator LINCOLN. That is a great suggestion. But, once again, in

order to be able to do that, the States are going to have to have

systems that will contact or communicate with one another.

So, I would just encourage all of us as we are looking forward

that those means of communication are going to be necessary. They

are going to have to link. But that is a great suggestion.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for this hearing. Very informative.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you.

I am going to submit further questions for response in writing,

and maybe you will get questions from other members who could

not be here, or who were here.

But I want to thank you all very much for coming. This has been

a very alarming set of testimony we have had. I think it shows that

we are still too vulnerable to document and identity fraud, which

then in turn means that we are still vulnerable to terrorism. I

think we have had some good news of how you are mobilizing to

address it. There is a lot of follow-up here. I thank you again. You

are excused.

[The questions appear in the appendix.]

The CHAIRMAN. I would call the third panel to get the perspective

of State involvement with this. Ms. Linda Lewis is president and

CEO of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

We will have her testimony about what her organization is doing

to secure the driver’s license process.

Then we have Robert Douglas, CEO of American Privacy Consultants. Mr. Douglas will give us insights as an identity theft expert consultant for law enforcement and financial companies.

Also, for many years he was a private investigator here in Washington. It is my understanding he will tell us some interesting

demonstrations to show how false documents are readily made.

45

I am going to start with Ms. Lewis. Thank you for being patient

through a long hearing, probably longer than I anticipated. But it

is very important.

STATEMENT OF LINDA LEWIS, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATORS, ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA

Ms. LEWIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning. Good

morning to you, Senator Lincoln.

I am Linda Lewis, president and CEO of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, or AAMVA.

AAMVA represents motor vehicle and law enforcement officials

who are responsible for administering the laws governing motor vehicle operation, driver credentialing, and highway safety enforcement.

We are not surprised by the findings of the GAO investigation.

In fact, we believe this investigation is long overdue. The report

adds to the mounting evidence that we need to fix our driver licensing process. Many of our members are taking steps to improve the

licensing process within their own State borders.

However, until we implement uniform practices, the process remains fragmented and vulnerable. As a result, we increase the opportunities for identity theft and fraud and put at risk our Nation’s

national security and highway safety.

AAMVA came together with numerous industry experts to develop a comprehensive solution to enhancing the licensing process.

Note that I say ‘‘comprehensive.’’ Fixing one aspect of the problem

will not make a difference.

This comprehensive approach addresses tightened application requirements for obtaining a driver’s license: electronic verification of

an applicant’s driver history and breeder documents; improved

processes and procedures for issuance, including internal audits

and training for employees; increased penalties for those who commit fraud; and, to ensure compliance with these activities, participation by all States in the Driver License Agreement, a new interstate compact.

Let us look at the vulnerabilities in driver’s licensing and, more

importantly, the steps needed to tighten the system. Currently, individuals can apply for and obtain a license in more than one

State. To remedy this, we need to establish an information system

that ensures each driver has only one license and one driver record.

The Commercial Driver’s License Information System, which

kept over 800,000 unqualified truck drivers off the road within a

4-year period, demonstrates the success of this approach.

In addition, the use of false breeder documents runs rampant

within the application process. This means we must adopt a uniform resource list of acceptable identification documents, which

narrows the numerous resources relied on for issuing a license.

We must provide adequate training to DMV employees. They

need the tools to recognize and appropriately handle fraudulent

documents, and we must ensure motor vehicle agencies have the

ability to electronically verify the validity of breeder documents

with the SSA, the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services,

46

the State Department, vital records agencies, as well as other

DMVs.

We also have a serious problem with fake driver’s licenses and

ID cards. That is because the driver’s license is easily counterfeited. Today, as you have heard earlier, there are more than 240

valid license formats, all lacking uniform security features, making

it easy for criminals to alter a real document or create a counterfeit

license. To combat this problem, we need to adopt minimum uniform card design and security features for the license and then

train others to identify fraudulent documents.

The last problem relates to human behavior. Unfortunately, some

individuals break the law. America wants criminal behavior

stopped on both sides of the counter.

AAMVA has recently developed model internal controls and auditing procedures for States to help detect this behavior and prevent it from spreading further.

And, most importantly, Federal and State policymakers must

partner with law enforcement and the courts to implement and enforce stiffer penalties for those who choose to break the law.

For the last 2 years, AAMVA has addressed these problems with

Congress. The evidence is clear. It is time we stop talking about

the problem and focus on solutions, a solution that must be implemented as a comprehensive package and not a piecemeal fix, a solution that reduces identity theft and fraud, and enhances homeland security and highway safety, a solution that can protect an individual’s personal privacy through adherence of privacy laws, and

a solution that can only be achieved with a State/Federal partnership that includes funding and the political will.

Without a State/Federal partnership to implement these changes,

this comprehensive approach is little more than a best practice.

In closing, AAMVA is not a regulatory body. We are the technical

experts and we believe we have done our job by developing a comprehensive solution to this longstanding problem.

In April of 2002, we conducted a public opinion poll. The poll reveals the American public overwhelmingly favors cooperative State

and Federal efforts to close one of the biggest loopholes in the

United States’ national security system by strengthening motor vehicle agency licensing practices. Mr. Chairman, Senator Lincoln,

will you help us? Thank you.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you. I hope that is what this hearing is

partly about.

[The prepared statement of Ms. Lewis appears in the appendix.]

The CHAIRMAN. Now, to Mr. Douglas.

STATEMENT OF ROBERT DOUGLAS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, AMERICAN PRIVACY CONSULTANTS, OAK CREEK, COLORADO

Mr. DOUGLAS. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman. Good afternoon,

Senator Lincoln.

The now documented fact that a terrorist could potentially walk

into a DMV licensing office and present obviously fraudulent documents in exchange for a driver’s license, thereby increasing the

probability of boarding an aircraft, just as the September 11th terrorists did, shocks the conscience.

47

But the extent of the problem does not end there. The same

fraudulently obtained driver’s license could assist terrorists and

other criminals to gain access to secure facilities in order to perform a myriad of criminal activities.

Additionally, the same fraudulently obtained driver’s license

could assist a terrorist or other criminals to open a financial services account, transfer funds in or out of the country, launder

money, or steal the funds of a legitimate account holder.

No exceptional means or methods were used by the OSI agents

to deceive DMV officials. To the contrary, the fraudulent documents were prepared using equipment and software available to

any individual in the world.

In the final analysis, the fraudulent documents used by the GAO

undercover agents were of lesser quality than a terrorist or identity

criminal could, and would, be expected to use.

The fact that a number of DMV officials did not even question

the fraudulent documents presented by the agents is inexcusable,

but sadly not unexpected. Prior GAO investigations and subsequent Congressional hearings have revealed that in far too many

aspects we are a country lax in security.

By way of comparison, my own experience and training in auditing bank employees and identification authentication systems

teaches that far too many financial services companies, called by

President Bush the Nation’s first line of defense in stopping the

movement of terrorist funding, are woefully inadequate in their

ability to provide that very defense.

There are several significant reasons for this failure: the lack of

standardized identification authentication equipment and systems;

the lack of appropriate security protocols within institutions; the

lack of adequate training of existing protocols; and the poor performance by individual employees in following security protocols

that have been provided and trained.

Mr. Chairman, it would not be a surprise that DMV officials

could be deceived with high-quality fraudulent documents. It is of

great concern that obviously fraudulent documents of relatively

poor quality were, in a number of the tests, accepted without question.

Further, the apparent lack of standardization in reviewing the

fraudulent documents and the lack of reporting or seizure of detected fraudulent documents is a glaring deficiency that must be

addressed.

Let me speak a few words about the broader issue of identity

theft. Just this past week, the FTC released a new survey showing

that upwards of 27 million Americans have been victimized by

identity theft in the last five years alone. According to the study,

10 million were victims in the past year.

The FTC’s report also paints a grim picture of financial losses

due to identity theft. Forty-eight billion dollars to the financial

services industry, $5 billion in losses to the individual American,

should ring out across America as loud as the loudest bank holdup alarm, for that is precisely what this is, a national bank robbery

under way right before our eyes.

The obvious question is, what is feeding the ease with which

identity theft and identity fraud crimes are carried out? The anVerDate 11-MAY-2000 16:37 Sep 02, 2004 Jkt 092535 PO 00000 Frm 00051 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 92477.000 SFINANC2 PsN: SFINANC2
48

swer is multifaceted, but straightforward. First, ease of access to

biographical information of all Americans. Second, lack of standardization in identity documents and authentication protocols.

Third, ineffective authentication protocols and training.

The first issue. As was crudely demonstrated by a California special interest group several weeks ago outside the White House, information about all Americans is easily obtained for free or for a

small fee.

The group demonstrated that they were able to purchase the Social Security numbers of the Director of Central Intelligence and

the Attorney General, amongst others.

If the highest public officials of our country can have their Social

Security numbers sold on the web like Elvis memorabilia on E-bay,

what chance does everyone else stand in protecting their identity?

After all, the Social Security number is the key that opens the

kingdom for identity thieves.

The reality is much worse than that, though, Mr. Chairman. The

reality is, anyone can buy anything about anybody in America

today, including Social Security number, dates of birth, home and

work addresses, phone numbers, mother’s maiden name, DMV information, voter identification information, bank account numbers,

bank account balances, investment portfolios, medical records, and

the list goes on and on. That is just a partial list of what is available.

I have appended to my testimony as Appendices A and B my two

previous Congressional testimonies documenting in great detail the

extent of the illegal information market in America.

But for the sake of illustration, I have on the projection screens

today a web site that I would like to call the attention of the committee to called hackershomepage.com. It is up this very minute as

we speak all around the world.

If you go to Section 6 of the web site, it is actually selling portable magnetic stripe card readers and writers.

All of the equipment, if you look through this section, Mr. Chairman, to set up your own identity theft operation, precisely the

equipment that I noticed Mr. Hmimssa testified to this morning in

his written testimony, or the written declaration of his testimony,

that he used to skim information off of credit cards in his taxi cab,

put it on his credit card, build up his bank account, and build up

his ability to stay in this country.

That is not the only type of web site. There are hundreds, Mr.

Chairman, of web sites out there selling every piece of information

about all of us.

I would also like to talk about the lack of standardization. In the

U.S., we have a dizzying array of forms of officially distributed

State DMV driver’s licenses and forms of underlying documents accepted by DMVs for issuance of the licenses. It is reported that

there are currently 400 official formats of State-issued driver’s licenses and non-driver IDs.

So, we have hundreds of officially issued State identifications

that no one in the United States, including any of the gentlemen

on the panel before us, can conceivably determine the validity

thereof with any degree of certainty. Yet, that is precisely what

49

stands between the next Mohammed Atta and access to a U.S.-

based airliner today.

Compounding the problem presented by the variation in current

State-issued identification documents is the equally dizzying variation in underlying documentation accepted for the issuance of a

State license.

These documents include Social Security cards, birth certificates,

foreign and domestic passports, green cards, and foreign matricula

consular cards.

As if that were not enough, add the fact that there are no consistently available reliable or secure methods for determining the

authenticity of any of the documents described so far.

The bottom line, Mr. Chairman. It really is quite simple. In the

United States today, we have a State-issued identification system

predicated upon a fiction built upon a fallacy.

The fiction is the belief that current State-issued identification

systems afford us a level of security. The fallacy is the belief that

State-issuing officials can, and will with certainty, issue license or

identification cards to only the individual named on the license or

ID card.

In conclusion, looking at ineffective identification protocols, the

worrisome fact that a number of State officials did not recognize

the presented documents were fraudulent demonstrates the lack of

appropriate authentication protocols, the lack of available authentication systems, and the lack of training to available systems and

protocols, or perhaps all three depending upon the individual State.

The most worrisome factor of all, is that a number of officials did

recognize the documents as fraudulent, but proceeded to allow the

undercover agent to leave with the fraudulent documents absent

any apparent notification of appropriate law enforcement, or even

supervisory officials.

I have seen this problem on an almost universal basis during my

work with the private sector. For much of corporate and governmental America, customer service comes before a sense of security.

That was acceptable before 9/11. It is not today.

Security must stop being an afterthought that is viewed by corporate America and government agencies as an albatross that either does not contribute to the bottom line, or takes away too many

dollars from other governmental programs.

To this day, there are hundreds upon hundreds of banks in

America that an identity thief, armed with the biographical data

of a legitimate bank account holder, can steal money out of an account by phone simply because the bank refuses to change the authentication protocol from a biographical fact that any thief can

purchase on an Internet to a PIN only known by the account holder. This is not theory. It has happened time and time again, with

very prominent Americans being the victims of bank robbery by

phone. It may be the easiest crime in America today.

The problem, as demonstrated by the GAO report released today,

is not confined to the financial services industry. It is an American

problem. It pervades every private and public sector.

It is a problem of attitude and determination, having the attitude

to accept the need for effective authentication protocols, combined

50

with the determination to see the protocols trained and followed to

the degree needed for effectiveness.

Thankfully, we have historically had a country where security

did not need to be paramount in our thinking and daily business

and government practices. Unfortunately, as demonstrated by 9/11,

the recent FTC survey, and many other daily examples and reminders, those carefree days are gone.

I stand ready to answer the questions of the committee.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Douglas appears in the appendix.]

The CHAIRMAN. Ms. Lewis, could you tell us what Federal agencies you work with and the extent of that work that you do with

them? I would be especially interested in any interaction you have

with the Department of Homeland Security.

Ms. LEWIS. Well, we are just beginning that cooperation there.

There are several agencies that we have worked with, the Social

Security Administration, the Department of Justice, the Department of Transportation and agencies there, FMCSA, the National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the FBI, the Secret Service, the Canadian Mounted Police are also involved, and other associations, the IACP.

Homeland Security is a new partner for AAMVA, closely with the

TSA, particularly with regard to the Patriot Act and implementation of that law.

So, we are beginning the dialogue with homeland security and

are looking forward to collaborating even more. As a matter of fact,

I just left a message with Asa Hutchinson as he left here that we,

indeed, need to sit down and discuss collaboration.

The CHAIRMAN. And with most of the agencies that you have

made contact with, and obviously talking about what you consider

mutual problems between States and the Federal Government,

have you found the cooperation like you would expect it to be under

the circumstances of the war on terrorism and the concern about

terrorism, and obviously fake documents? Or do you think that

there is something the Federal Government should be more responsive to with entities like yours?

Ms. LEWIS. I think we would hope there would be more responsiveness. We have been on this podium, probably, ever since 9/11.

We really did spend a year, probably a year and a half, defending

our position against those who thought we were trying to do more

than just correct a driver’s licensing process that is broken today.

We have wasted a year and a half and we did not have the support for the political will of Congress, nor the State legislatures at

that time. I am pleased to say that that is changing.

The fact that I am sitting here before you today says that that

is changing. The fact that we have had government officials all

talking about a problem that has basis with the application and the

processing of the driver’s license, as well as other ID documents,

it tells me that we have made progress. There is still more to be

done in a partnership fashion, not just the States, but in collaboration with the Federal Government.

The CHAIRMAN. Well, considering the issues that have been laid

out here today and the awakening that this hearing ought to proVerDate 11-MAY-2000 16:37 Sep 02, 2004 Jkt 092535 PO 00000 Frm 00054 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 92477.000 SFINANC2 PsN: SFINANC2
51

vide everybody, I can only speak for myself, but the extent to which

I or my staff can help in being a conduit between your organization

and any Federal agency, please let me know.

Ms. LEWIS. Thank you.

The CHAIRMAN. I have one last question, and that would be to

both of you. I know that there are legislative proposals. But is

there anything that Federal agencies can do on their own initiative

right now to make driver’s licenses more secure, even though

States are in charge of that?

Ms. LEWIS. I would like to go first, if I may. I think there are

a lot of things you can do. One, is to recognize that there is a problem. I think many of us have had our heads in the sand that the

problem even exists.

I really do applaud the committee and Congress for conducting

this GAO investigation, because I think it does provide credible evidence that, in fact, a problem does exist.

I think that is the first thing, the political will, asking the States,

talking to the Governors of your States and the State legislatures

to take this issue seriously.

I think the development of some type of a grant program, an incentive program for the States to encourage them to do those

things that go a long way to improve the system might be another

step in the right direction as well.

Mr. DOUGLAS. I would echo much of what Ms. Lewis has said.

As an outside observer, I know their organization has been, for a

number of years, trying to address some of these problems. I think

the political will does need to come from Congress.

Any time that you start talking about what I think is very apparent from listening to this whole hearing today, that the only solution is going to be standardization, reduction of the number of documents that are currently being accepted, whether it is for entry

into the country, whether it is for acceptance by any of the different 50 States, for the issuance of driver’s licenses, when you

start talking about putting security features into driver’s licenses

and into the other breeder documents, of course, the hue and cry

comes up about a national ID card, that we are federalizing a system and all of the political concerns therein.

The reality is, all of these systems are out there. All of the information about all of us is either in government hands, or I could

demonstrate ad infinitum that it is already in the private sector.

As I said before, you can buy anything about anybody in this

country on the Internet right now. The only one who seems to be

behind the eight ball is the government in the ability to know,

when I present a driver’s license, is that, indeed, Rob Douglas on

the driver’s license? The reality is, no one in this country can do

it. It is a totally fallacious system that we have for security right

now.

When we present our driver’s license at the airport, it means absolutely nothing currently. I looked at my driver’s license while I

was sitting here waiting to testify. There is some bar coding on the

back of it. I have had that license for years, and no one has ever

used that bar coding for anything in the country.

So I think, as Ms. Lewis says, we recognize the problem is here.

That recognition has been growing with the ongoing serious of

52

GAO investigations, culminating today. And I love the chart that

they had over there documenting almost precisely how a terrorist

could enter this country, become one of us, and carry out an act.

With the hearing today, I think the culmination of all that can

go wrong is here, we just need to bring all the parties together and

there needs to be standardization of these documents, otherwise

they mean absolutely nothing and we are just wasting money.

The CHAIRMAN. Well, that is the last question I have. You may

get questions from other people for answer in writing. I would appreciate your response to those about 2 weeks after you have received them.

I want to say that I consider your testimony very worthwhile.

Both of you are very forceful in what we need to be doing. Hopefully, we can help each of you along in your drive, because it is mutually beneficial to us.

We have heard today about the legitimacy of the problem and

the illusion that there is legitimacy to people that claim to be

something that they are not, and the threat that that is to national

security. Hopefully, this hearing will help focus attention on it and

will move along more quickly.

With that, I thank all of you, and the hearing is adjourned.

Mr. DOUGLAS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Ms. LEWIS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you.

[Whereupon, at 12:58 p.m. the hearing was concluded.]

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