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HAMILTON — An estimated $600,000 of fraudulent documents where seized by the Butler County Sheriff Office in what is believed to be the largest bust of its kind in state history, according to investigatos.

Three suspected illegal immigrants — two from Mexico and one from Guatemala —were arrested on 18 felony counts for creating fraudulent documents in Fairfield and Hamilton, according to sheriff's officials.

"We've been saying all along that this stuff was happening," Sheriff Richard K. Jones said. "What we have today is the largest fraudulent document case that we are aware of in the state of Ohio, if not one of the largest in the U.S."

Sheriff's officials confiscated fake "green cards", Social Security cards, state identification cards, computers, as well as over 4,000 blank cards — which would have been used to create the fraudulent documents. Jones estimated the dealers were selling them for approximately $150 to $200 each.

"Some of these documents are so good that you can not tell by looking at them yourself," Jones said. He estimated they had a $600,000 street value.

" I don't know if the Social Security office can make a card look that good."

Ernesto Escalante-Bartolon, 29, of Guatemala, Nicolas Juan Santiago, 32, of Mexico and Gregorio Cruz, 31, of Mexico were arrested and charged with no less than one count of tampering with records, a third-degree felony. Jones said Escalante-Bartolon, who was charged with ll counts of tampering with records, was the ring leader.

"(Escalante-Bartolon) basically told us he was practicing and was getting much better at his trade," Jones said. "The quality of the paper and the equipment is unbelievable."

BCSO officials said they began the investigation into the fraudulent documents after an illegal immigrant walked into the Butler County jail, attempting to obtain a background check for employment with one of the fake photo identification cards.

"It doesn't sound very intelligent to come to the sheriff's office and walk past the little signs out here and ask for a background check," Jones said. "He came to really the wrong place. It was for our advantage."

Jones said a staff member alerted investigators that, "some things on the card was not proper (and) that set off some alarms."

Jones said investigators learned Escalante-Bartolon was handing out business cards advertising the fraudulent documents.

"He was advertising for the sale of these cards in the 4th Ward, within less than a few feet from the Butler County jail," Jones said. "We took advantage of those business cards. We ordered up some ID's."

The fake documents were being mass produced at the Woodsfield Apartment Complex, 100 Buckhead Drive in Fairfield, authorities said. Capt. Katie McMahon of the BCSO also said a search warrant was executed at 38 Pan Am Way in Hamilton, in connection with the investigation.

Jones compared the quality of the forged documents to those terrorist used in the Sept. 11 attacks to get on board planes.

"These IDs are so good, that you can actually obtain a ticket and fly anywhere in the country," he said. "The technology is unbelievable."

The sheriff said they would soon notify the federal government of their findings. He also said he believed local businesses could have been referring illegals to get the fraudulent documents.

"It may have more tentacles out there than we realize," he said. "It's very large and it's a cooperation effort that we need to have maybe have someone else look at this. It could grow further.

"These IDs started here, but this individual did not start just making these IDs," Jones said. "We feel that it was businesses that may have been sending people to see this individual or individuals to get a fraudulent license. We're working on his computer. We're going through his documents. We know it is local but it may be beyond."

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2595 or khardy@coxohio.com.