Illegal aliens charged $2K for driver's license

By Marcus K. Garner

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A Marietta driver's license examiner was charged with extortion and conspiracy for selling Georgia driver's licenses for $2,000 to illegal immigrants and others who didn't qualify.

Gbemisola Wellington-Salako, 35, was indicted Monday and arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gerrilyn Brill. Wellington-Salako was granted $20,000 bond.

“The sale of any official government document to those who are not qualified is a major public safety issue," GBI director Vernon Keenan said. "This type of activity facilitates fraud related crimes that could impact homeland security.”

Three men also were charged in connection with the scheme, court authorities said.

Wellington-Salako, a driver's license examiner with the Department of Driver Services, in April 2008 allegedly was paid $600 to  to issue a license to Jules Armand Che Siewe Achou, 32, a native of Cameroon who didn't have legal immigration status in the U.S.

She later plotted with (co-defendant) Achou, the indictment alleges, to issue licenses to people who didn't qualify, charging them $2,000 per license, court authorities said.

The indictment later alleges co-defendants Nambaladja Souleymane Fofana and Mohamed Cellou Bamba helped Achou find customers  and in return receive a share of the money.

Wellington-Salako issued approximately 40 bogus licenses between April 2008 and September 2009, court officials said.

She issued licenses to a pair of undercover agents on Sept. 11, in exchange for $5,000, and was arrested on state charges.

The Department of Drivers Services investigators joined with Immigration and Customs Enforcement fraud investigators to conduct the investigation.

Achou and Bamba were arrested when they met to divide the agents' payment with Fofana. All three remain in the Cobb County jail and will be transferred into federal custody within weeks, U.S. Attorney spokesman Patrick Crosby said.

The four defendants were indicted on Sept. 23, charged with extortion, conspiring to transfer fraudulent identification documents, and several counts of transferring or attempting to transfer fraudulent identification documents.

The extortion charges carry a penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The fraud charges carry 15-year prison sentences with a $250,000 fine.