FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    April 23, 2003
NEWS FROM: Compliance Enforcement Division

DMV Arrests Alleged Counterfeiter
Reno Woman Faces Forgery and False ID Charges

Investigators from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles’ Compliance Enforcement Division (CED) arrested a Reno woman on Thursday, April 17, after serving a search warrant on her home. The day-long search turned up more than 100 fraudulent documents and a sophisticated computer system used to manufacture them.

Melanie Marie Swearinger, 24, faces felony charges of Forgery and Possession and Sale of False Identification. She also faces a misdemeanor charge of Possession or Use of Another’s Birth Certificate and two unrelated drug charges. She was booked into the Washoe County Jail and subsequently posted bail.

CED investigators say Swearinger manufactured and sold false drivers licenses, birth certificates, Social Security cards, automobile titles, registration slips and license plate decals. Investigators confiscated both fraudulent and authentic documents, the computer system and 45 compact discs containing images of documents from states across the country.

The Reno Police Department’s SWAT team made the initial entry into the home at 625 E. 2nd Street in Reno at the DMV’s request because of the possible presence of illegal drugs and weapons. Forensic computer experts from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office assisted CED with the computer equipment.

For more information, contact Compliance Enforcement Investigator Allen Byers at (775) 684-3547.

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