SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 News) – A man is busted for making fake drivers licenses.
And it means hundreds of drivers are operating vehicles in the valley illegally.
Authorities arrested Moises Barreiro for operating his business which was called the International Krascar Drivers Club.
His office was located across from the Mexican Consulate on 300 West in Salt Lake City.
In fact, court documents claimed that it was the Mexican Consulate that tipped off authorities.
Inside the Krascar Drivers Club Mexican immigrants allegedly purchased an International Driving Permit.
According to court documents, Barreiro sold a permit for $175 dollars each.
“He then quoted prices for licenses $175 for one year, $225 for two years and $275 for three years,” according to the Utah Attorney General which is prosecuting the case.
"They're only fifteen dollars," said Rolayne Fairclough of AAA Utah which is authorized to sell the permits.
According to the court documents only AAA Automobile Association and the American Automobile Touring Alliance’s National Automobile Club can issue the permits in the United States.
“These are not valid for driving in the United States,” said Fairclough. “They're valid for driving outside of the country. They’re not good here in Utah.”
Yet the Krascar Driver's Club allegedly issued hundreds of these permits to Mexican immigrants.
“Our community is not safe if we have drivers out there that we have no idea from what country they're from, they're age,” said Consuelo Fiero who operates an immigration document service. “They can't even purchase insurance."
Fierro said people use these black market companies out of frustration.
She says new rules by the state's Department of Motor Vehicle Division are making it harder for foreigners to get a drivers license.
“It's difficult for these people to obtain driver's license so they're going to gravitate to purchase false drivers license,” she said.
For now, authorities said Barreiro has put hundreds of illegal drivers out on the road in order to make a quick buck.
“They're preying on people and it’s sad,” Fairclough said. “People are buying something and paying a lot of money that is totally worthless.”
Barreiro remains in the Salt Lake County jail and on Friday was charged with ten counts of communications fraud.