Polish men nabbed going for NM licenses

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Investigators arrested three men they believe were using fake documents to try to obtain New Mexico driver's licenses, a New Mexico State Police spokesperson confirmed Thursday.

Investigators said the suspects made one, clear mistake when they doctored up a fake lease agreement to show they lived in Albuquerque: they put down an address used before in other forged license cases.

Police arrested Piotr Stelmach and Rafal Marzac after they tried to get New Mexico driver's licenses Wednesday at the MVD Express office on Montgomery Boulevard NE just north of San Mateo Boulevard.

Investigators said when the pair handed MVD Express workers their lease agreement the workers recognized the address as one used in past fraud cases.

State Police said Stelmach and Marzac went to Jaroslaw Kowalczyk in Albuquerque to get the fake lease agreement.

Kowalczyk is also accused of taking Stelmach and Marzac to the contractor-operated MVD office.

The feds are looking into whether Kowalczyk, Stelmach and Marzac, who all have Polish passports, are in the U.S. illegally.

"But it is clear that these two were paying him (Kowalczyk) a lot of money to get New Mexico driver's licenses," said Department of Public Safety spokesperson Peter Olson. "They drove from Chicago to come here just to get driver's licenses.

Investigators alleged Stelmach and Marzac each paid $1,000 to Kowalczyk for the licenses.

Investigators are looking into whether Kowalczyk obtained his valid New Mexico driver's license using fake documents as well.

Investigators don't know how many times Kowalczyk got paid for helping illegal immigrants get drivers licenses but said they are determined to find out.