Judge Orders Halt to ID Theft Investigation Based on Illegal Search of Tax Files

A state judge here ordered a halt Monday to a controversial identity theft investigation that has implicated more than 1,000 suspected illegal immigrants, ruling that the search at the start of the investigation was unlawful and violated privacy rights. The judge, James H. Hiatt of Colorado District Court, ruled that the Weld County Sheriff’s Office lacked probable cause last October when investigators seized thousands of tax returns and other documents from a Greeley tax preparer, Amalia Cerrillo, the owner of Amalia’s Translation and Tax Services.  For the full story, click here.

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