Undocumented immigrant pleads guilty to running fake ID mill in Layton

A man responsible for what some law enforcement agents called "one of the most sophisticated fake ID mills" in state history pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Wednesday to felony possession with intent to transfer five or more false United States identification documents.

Victor Zarco-Hernandez, 22, faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced before U.S. District Court Judge Clark Waddoups on Aug. 16.

Agents from the Utah Attorney General's Office in March arrested Zarco-Hernandez in downtown Salt Lake City.

He admitted to working in a high-tech fraudulent document business that produced and sold Utah driver licenses, Social Security cards and Mexican consular identification cards, as well as driver licenses from other states and other identification documents, said Rhett McQuiston, a supervisory special agent with the AG's SECURE Strike Force, which investigates high-profile crimes by undocumented immigrants.

The business was run out of a small studio apartment in Layton, where agents found fraudulent documents after serving a search warrant on the property.

Agents also seized computers, printers, a laminating machine, cutters and high-quality blank printing stock. Agents also found two handguns and professional grade high-speed CD/DVD-burning equipment typically used to pirate music and movies.

Zarco-Hernandez operated the document mill while in the country illegally. He had previously been deported after authorities apprehended him trying to enter the U.S. illegally on four separate occasions.

mrogers@sltrib.com

Twitter: @mrogers_trib —