Milwaukee Police Confiscate Legalización Mexicano Files With Search Warrant

Police took files, documents, and Mexican license plates from Legalización Mexicano

By H. Nelson Goodson
January 14, 2010

Milwaukee -On Tuesday, Milwaukee Police investigators from the 2nd District Police Department in Milwaukee's South side walked into Legalización Mexicano, 1239 S. Cesar E. Chavez Dr. and took numerous files, documents and Mexican license plates under a search warrant. Investigators launched a probe investigation into what could be one of the largest fraud operations conducted by a business chain in Wisconsin, Illinois and Mexico dealing in document legalizing of vehicles to be imported into Mexico.
On Monday, several victims came forward to expose an alleged fraud scheme by Legalización Mexicano, which defrauded them of thousands of dollars. The legalized documents for their trucks and vehicles they paid for to import permanently into Mexico turned out bogus. Legalización Mexicano charged between $1,500 to $3,000 and even more for documents and Mexican license plates.
Numerous clients became victims once they reached the Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico International border crossing when they discovered through Mexican Customs that their documents and Mexican license plates were false. Some of the Legalización Mexicano victims had to pay again at the border town legalization agencies to legalize their vehicles in order to import them into Mexico.
The Mexican Consulate in Chicago has not released any type of press release or warning to its citizens in the U.S. or in Mexico about the dubious practices of such businesses dealing in fraud. Mexican nationals in the U.S. have become easy pray for scams and fraud. The Mexican government has yet to enact laws to prosecute and punish those who engage in falsifying Mexican driver licenses, Id's, and now Mexican legalization documents and license plates for vehicles to be imported into Mexico. The Mexican Consulate in Chicago lacks a fraud investigative unit, according to victims.                                                 
Since the story first broke in December concerning Legalización Mexicano and its business chain owner Agustin Acosta-Valdez dubious business practices, numerous victims of the alleged fraud scheme have come forward in Milwaukee, Chicago and Mexico.

Chicago's Legalizaciones Mexicano at 3121 W. 26 St. closed signed on door said "Oficinas cerradas, no hay información a donde se movieron" Offices closed, no information where they moved. Offices were located in La Villita business sector.

Legalización Mexicano employees in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and in Waukegan and Chicago, Illinios have been abandoning the business chain. The business chain main Mex-Tel Corporate office located at 3121 W. 26 Street, Suite 2R in Chicago has been shut down. The owner of the building in La Villita Business District when contacted says Legalización Mexicano owes at least two months rent. Business phone lines in Waukegan and Chicago have been temporarily disconnected or voice mail boxes have been full to capacity.

Related article Internet link of Legalización Mexicano alleged fraud and investigation: Milwaukee police initiate investigation into bogus documents and Mexican license plates used for importing vehicles into Mexico http://bit.ly/6AwXZ9

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Milwaukee Police Investigate Alleged Legalización Mexicano Fraud Scheme

(L to R) Guillermo Marin speaks to Milwaukee Police Officers Jose Arzaga and Jesus Gloria concerning an alleged fraud scheme conducted by a vehicle import to Mexico legalizing business.

Police initiate a fraud investigation into Legalización Mexicano dealing in legalizing autos for import into Mexico

By H. Nelson Goodson
January 11, 2010

Milwaukee -Several victims in Wisconsin have come forward with vehicle legalized documents believed to be false. On Monday, they met with Milwaukee Police and filed an initial complaint. Officers Jose Arzaga and Jesus Gloria who are both bilingual took the initial complaint. Gloria said, "This is the first time our department has heard of the allegations raised by victims." The victims of the alleged Legalización Mexicano fraud scheme were able to provide police with the actual documents and license plates believed to be bogus. 
The victims and relatives say they got the documents from Legalización Mexicano at 1239 S. Cesar E. Drive in Milwaukee's South side.
In June, a 48-year-old man paid $1,500 in cash at Legalización Mexicano to get legalized documents to export a 1997 Chevrolet truck to Mexico. After six months, he received license plates from the State of Mexico and documents needed to permanently drive and keep the truck in Mexico.
Once the driver of the truck tried to cross the Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico border, he was stopped by Mexican Customs at check point number 13 just outside Nuevo Laredo. Officials ran a computer check on the plates and documents and they turned out false. The plates had been used twice previously by a trailer and a liquid tanker.
In this case, Mexican Customs allowed the family to return back to the U.S. with the truck. The family had to wait seven days and pay $1,600 to a Legalization Agency (Servicios Aduanales Loiaf) in Laredo, Texas to get legal documents to import the truck into Mexico. They ended up paying $1,500 in Milwaukee and $1,600 in Laredo totaling $3,100.
Another incident, a woman paid $1,890 to Legalización Mexicano in Milwaukee for documents legalizing her Jetta 1999 auto being transported to Encuandureo, Michoacan. She was able to make all the way to Encuandureo, but afterwards when they went shopping at a nearby mall it was discovered the license plates were false. An official from the Mexican Federal Investigative Agency (AFI) spotted the auto, he ran the plates and they were registered to someone else in Michoacan. The couple had to pay $1,200 U.S. dollars to get it out from being pounded and another $700 to prevent any judicial charges against her. The couple paid in total $3,790. 

Legalización Mexicano business in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Last month, a multi-business in Illinois and Wisconsin operating a vehicle legalization known in the South side of Milwaukee as Legalización Mexicano de Autos (Auto Imports To Mexico Legalized) on Chavez Dr. was no longer accepting requests for auto legalized documents to temporarily travel or import vehicles to Mexico. Currently, three businesses are located in Chicago, one in Waukegan, and another in Milwaukee, which are affiliated to the parent company Mex-Tel Inc.
In December, Chicago local investigators cited an employee of Legalización Mexicano a total of $3,000 for not providing a business license to operate at 3121 W. 26th St., and was ordered to appear in court at a later date. The owner Agustin Acosta-Valdez, a Chicago resident could not be located by police, and is believed to be in Mexico, according to sources in Chicago.
The Legalización Mexicano de Autos in Milwaukee, and Waukegan, IL located at 913 Grand Ave. began to limit their operation to just delivering vehicle legalized documents to customers. In Chicago, the business located at 3121 W. 26th St., 2nd Floor was closed as a result of an investigation by Chicago police. The two other businesses in Chicago continued to operate, however an undated postcard flyer indicated Acosta-Valdez was operating 10 business locations.
The Acosta-Valdez company specializes in temporary legalized travel vehicle permits into Mexico from nine months to a year and with option to renew on a yearly basis, until year to permanently import vehicle arrives. Legalización Mexicano can provide legalization permits to vehicles already in Mexico and could use up to two different names if desired by the clients. The Legalización Mexicano website assures their practices in issuing permits is legal and has legalized at least 10,000 vehicles.
Customer complaints to Legalización Mexicano employees date back at least five months. The permit holders  alleged the import documents provided to them by Legalización Mexicano were fraudulent.

Related Internet article link of the alleged fraud scheme by Legalización Mexicano and Agustin Acosta-Valdez:
Chicago business chain "Legalización Mexicano de Autos" legalizing vehicles for export to Mexico investigated by police http://bit.ly/6BHwtt

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