Daily Archives: June 27, 2018

ADOT detectives apprehend man with FBI felony warrant

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PHOENIX – A Sahuarita resident, who allegedly used two stolen identities to maintain Arizona driver licenses, was revealed to have an outstanding FBI felony warrant and has been charged with five counts of forgery thanks to Arizona Department of Transportation detectives’ use of facial recognition training and technology.

In the course of their investigation, detectives with ADOT’s Office of Inspector General learned that Sandro Tentory, 43, had an outstanding FBI felony warrant for weapons violations and a history of violence including aggravated assault and the sale of drugs. According to FBI files, Tentory was a documented gang member of the Chicago-based “Maniac Latin Disciples.”

The case began when ADOT’s facial recognition system, including review by FBI-trained personnel, found two profiles in the system with different names and dates of birth but photos of the same individual. An investigation by ADOT detectives found that Tentory had applied for two Arizona driver licenses using stolen information from two individuals living in Illinois and had maintained those IDs for the past 13 years.

Detectives apprehended Tentory on June 7 while serving a search warrant at the Sahuarita address listed on his most recent driver license application, arresting him on counts of forgery and the felony warrant. He was booked at the Pima County Jail.

Evidence recovered at the scene consisted of several fraudulent ID cards, credit cards, loan documents and other documents obtained using the fraudulent IDs.

This case is one more example of how facial recognition technology used by ADOT’s Office of Inspector General protects Arizonans’ identities and helps prevent fraud involving state-issued driver licenses and identification cards.

Reminder: Deadline to update credit cards, protect bonus points is Tomorrow

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) reminds those who applied online for a 2018 fall hunt permit-tag that 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Thursday, June 28, is the deadline to update credit card or debit card information.

If payment is declined at the time of the draw, the application will not be drawn. AZGFD no longer calls customers to obtain payment on drawn applications where credit cards or debit cards have failed.

Meanwhile, online applicants still can protect their bonus points by purchasing “PointGuard” through 11:59 p.m. (Arizona time) Thursday, June 28. PointGuard ensures if a successful online applicant is unable to participate in a hunt — for any reason — the accumulated bonus points that were expended to draw that hunt permit-tag will be reinstated.

A free AZGFD portal account is needed to purchase PointGuard (visit www.azgfd.gov, click on the “My Account” button in the upper right-hand corner of the home page, then select “Register”). PointGuard is $5 per species, per applicant. For more information, visit https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/pointguard, or call (602) 942-3000.

A portal account allows customers to create a secure account where they can view and manage their contact information, as well as their licenses, draw results history and bonus points in their personal “My AZGFD Dashboard” section. That’s also where draw results will be posted once the process is completed.

The department will announce on its website and Facebook page when results officially are released. All hunt permit-tags are expected to be mailed by July 31 (refunds by July 20).

Operation Dry Water targets boating under the influence of alcohol on Arizona waterways

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PHOENIX — Boating while under the influence of alcohol continues to be a major factor in recreational boating deaths and accidents in Arizona and across the United States. In fact, the U.S. Coast Guard reported that alcohol was the top contributing factor in fatal boating accidents last year. As part of the effort to bring attention to the importance of always having a sober operator when on the water, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is participating in Operation Dry Water, a national awareness and enforcement campaign focused on sober boating.

For the tenth year, AZGFD and its partner agencies will be on the water providing heightened enforcement and awareness about the dangers of drinking alcohol while boating June 29 through July 1 in advance of the Fourth of July. The goal is to reduce the number of alcohol and/or drug-related fatalities and accidents, and spread this important message to the public during a time that is known for drinking and boating — a potentially deadly combination.

“Our No. 1 priority is to create a safe environment for everyone who is out enjoying Arizona’s waterways,” said Tim Baumgarten, AZGFD’s boating law administrator. “If alcohol is being consumed on your boat, always designate a sober operator. It’s no different from driving a car on the highway; the operator is responsible for everyone onboard.”

Although the legal limit for operating a boat in Arizona is a .08 blood-alcohol concentration, an operator is in violation of the law and may be prosecuted for operating a watercraft while impaired to the slightest degree by alcohol and/or drugs.

During last year’s Operation Dry Water campaign, AZGFD officers stopped 812 boats, 74 of which had a designated operator. Three arrests were made for operating watercraft while under the influence, and 94 citations were written. Nationwide more than 97,500 boats were stopped and 518 arrests made for boating under the influence.

While the main focus is those operating a boat while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, officers may also give warnings and write citations for other issues such as operation, fire extinguisher and life jacket violations. State law requires that children 12 and under must wear a life jacket at all times when the boat is underway and there should be one life jacket aboard for every passenger. In addition, a throwable flotation device — usually a cushion with handles or a ring buoy — is required for all watercraft longer than 16 feet, except for canoes and kayaks.

Operation Dry Water was launched in 2009 by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, and it’s credited with successfully drawing attention to the dangers of boating under the influence.

“We’ve been participating in Operation Dry Water since day one, and anything that helps to prevent fatalities and injuries in Arizona is a valuable investment of our time and resources,” Baumgarten said.