Woman indicted for helping undocumented immigrants obtain false IDs

A Fairfax, Minnesota, woman has been indicted in federal court in Minneapolis for helping undocumented immigrants obtain false Social Security numbers, including one 14-year-old girl who allegedly worked at a Minnesota slaughterhouse.

Mireya Reyes, 31, was charged in U.S. District Court on Tuesday with five counts of aiding and abetting the misuse of Social Security numbers.

A criminal complaint filed last month accused Reyes of helping a 14-year-old Guatemalan girl identified as J.R.D. to get false identification so she could work at a Triple J Family Farms' slaughterhouse.

Workers at the Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) office in Redwood Falls told investigators that Reyes filled out the paperwork for employees of Triple J Family Farms in Buffalo Lake, according to the criminal complaint.

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Ten employees of the farm were arrested on Sept. 18. Five of the farm's employees told investigators that Reyes helped them get Minnesota ID cards using false names.

One woman, described as the 14-year-old's aunt, said Reyes drove her to the DVS office and charged her $150 for help in obtaining the ID.

The border patrol agent in charge of the investigation wrote in the criminal complaint that he's witnessed or received reports that Reyes assisted at least a dozen people with DVS applications.

Reyes' lawyer declined to comment. A person who answered the phone at Triple J Family Farm on Wednesday also declined to comment.

Triple J Family Farms describes itself on its website as specializing in Halal and Kosher beef. The farm's filing with the Minnesota Secretary of State lists the manager as John Derner. The website says it was purchased by the new owners in October 2011.

Minnesota court records show Reyes was involved in at least eight traffic incidents in the last two years, including a conviction in June for driving with a suspended license. She is scheduled to be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis next Tuesday.