ATLANTA — Any Georgia adult who uses a fake ID to get a job could go to prison for 15 years and pay a fine of $250,000.
The new offense, called aggravated identity fraud, went into effect July 1 under a little- noticed provision of the state’s new immigration law. It applies to everyone, not just illegal immigrants. The penalties are on par with possessing up to 10,000 pounds of marijuana.
“It’s a harsh penalty,” said Frank Rotondo, executive director of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police. “But it is meant as an eye-opener, to send a message.” In addition to illegal immigrants, those the law might snare, officials said, are deadbeat parents who are trying to hide income and young people lying about their age in order to get a job.
