A South Carolina investigation into a scheme involving stolen identities, forged documents, and unauthorized employment led to federal immigration authorities detaining 48 workers and the indictment of six people, including the arrest of two managers on Wednesday at an Abbeville manufacturing company.
Prosecutors allege forged driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, and other identification documents were used to obtain jobs. Some of the documents included birth dates and Social Security numbers of U.S. citizens, according to the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.
Authorities allege the investigation uncovered a network supplying fraudulent identification documents to people living in the United States illegally and seeking jobs.
“If you are unlawfully aiding illegal immigrants in South Carolina, you are going to be investigated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Attorney General Alan Wilson said.
“If you are taking advantage of hard-working Americans, stealing their identities, and are intentionally ignoring your responsibilities as an employer in an effort to circumvent the law, we are coming for you," he added.
Mark Zito, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in North and South Carolina, said the crimes uncovered in Operation Ghost Story are not victimless. "When illegal aliens use stolen identities and forged documents, they victimize law-abiding citizens whose personal information is misused and undermine the security of our communities,” he said.
Zito added that the actions of those indicted "also enable businesses to profit from illegal labor at the expense of honest workers and employers."
The two company managers were arrested on grand jury charges, while U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained 48 workers for alleged immigration violations.
Grand jury indictments allege that Burnstein Von Seelen Precision Casting managers Christopher Douglas Ramey and Sandy Lynn Willis failed to verify identification documents during hiring and allowed employees to use forged documents.
Ramey and Willis each face charges of criminal conspiracy, identity fraud to obtain employment, and forgery valued at more than $10,000.
Other defendants are also accused of getting forged driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, and other ID documents for people seeking jobs.
- Jose Luis Aguilar Mejia, two counts of forgery valued at more than $10,000 and three counts of identity fraud. Authorities said he remains at large.
- Lazaro Hernandez Hernandez, also known as Diego Hernandez, was convicted of one count of forgery valued at more than $10,000 and one count of identity fraud.
- Xavier Martinez Adorno, four counts of forgery valued at more than $10,000, and three counts of identity fraud.
- Zenon Rojas-Cabrera, two counts of identity fraud to obtain employment, and four counts of forgery valued at more than $10,000.
- Christopher Douglas Ramey, criminal conspiracy, identity fraud to obtain employment, and forgery valued at more than $10,000.
- Sandy Lynn Willis, criminal conspiracy, identity fraud to obtain employment, and forgery valued at more than $10,000.
The agency said some had previous encounters with ICE, and some had previously been ordered deported.
The American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina said it was seeking additional information about the detention of the workers.
Authorities said the investigation began in the fall of 2024 and is ongoing. Some parts of the case remain under seal.
Burnstein von Seelen, founded in 1985, is a metal casting business that uses various copper, brass, and bronze alloys to produce an array of components, according to its website.
It is located in Abbeville County, with a population of around 25,000, in western South Carolina, not far from the Georgia line, about 90 miles west of Columbia.
“These crimes are not only stealing jobs from American employees but also pose a serious risk to national security. When criminals make it easy for illegal aliens to get fake identification documents, we don’t know who is working in our country, and in this operation, specifically, our national security and manufacturing sectors," Wilson said.