The operator of the St Joseph License Office is responding to an indictment accusing 14 people of using bogus documents to obtain fraudulent IDs at the office.

A grand jury says some 3,500 driver’s and non driver’s licenses were issued to illegal immigrants over the course of two years.

Attorney James Montee says the management of the St Joseph License Office has been complaining to law enforcement at the local, state and federal level for years about people using bogus documents and interpreters to get driver’s licenses there.

Montee says his manager and partner is largely responsible for bringing the problems to light.

In a release faxed to area news agencies, Montee said manager Sandra Guttshall’s “repeated complaints to federal, state and local authorities finally resulted in sweeping arrests and indictments for efforts to obtain fraudulent IDs from the St Joseph License Office.”

Montee offered his congratulations to the law enforcement agencies involved.