Brothers likely facing deportation

Published 9:54 am Friday, August 7, 2009

Two brothers are likely to be deported following sentencing in a forgery case Thursday in Mower County.

Elias Gallardo-Ambriz, 25, and Adrian Gallardo-Ambriz, 20, will be turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to begin the deportation process.

Both plead guilty to the felony charges last month.

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The two were living with an in-law, Jorge Luis Rodriguez-Hernandez, 20, and another man, Orlando Padilla-Espinoza, 22, at 1209 First St. N.E. in a four-bedroom apartment.

Rodriguez-Hernandez plead guilty to felony forgery and awaits sentencing; Padilla-Espinoza was sentenced Monday and also could face deportation.

Their home was searched July 10 by police. Rodriguez-Hernandez and his sister were home when officers arrived for the search, according to a court complaint.

The sister said her husband, Elias Gallardo-Ambriz, was working at the Austin Packaging Company with an alias. She showed officers fraudulent documents he had been using, and the officers went to APC and arrested Elias Gallardo-Ambriz.

Rodriguez-Hernandez told police he had been working using an alias at Quality Pork Processors. He showed workers where his fraudulent documents were in the house.

His sister said Padilla-Espinoza and Adrian Gallardo-Ambriz had also been working at QPP with aliases.

Officers went to the plant and questioned the two.

They both admitted to using aliases and were taken to county jail, according to the complaint.

Officers found fraudulent Minnesota IDs for each suspect, as well as a number of fraudulent birth certificates and Social Security cards, at the house.