FORT WORTH -- Illegal immigrants didn't have to go out of their way to get a Texas driver's license -- they paid a state license examiner at the Hurst Department of Public Safety office for one.
The price was $2,000 to $4,000, court records say, but what service they got for their money.Dorris Ann Phillips, 43, of Irving helped the immigrants obtain fake documents such as birth certificates and marriage licenses. Then she escorted them to the Hurst office and to the station of then-license examiner Damaris Moreno-Harter, 37, of North Richland Hills.Both women pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to unlawfully produce and transfer identification documents.The women are free on personal recognizance bonds and are scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 14. They face a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and supervised release for three years.They could not be reached for comment Tuesday.Phillips' attorney, Warren St. John, declined to comment Tuesday. Moreno-Harter's attorney, Peter Fleury, could not be reached.How much did the women make from the scheme? Court documents don't say, but it didn't last long. They began their operation in early 2011 and continued it until March 10, 2011, according to the records.Authorities filed federal cases against the women because the crime affected interstate and foreign commerce. Not to mention the lines at the DPS office.Domingo Ramirez Jr., 817-390-7763Twitter: @mingoramirezjrHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
