MONTICELLO - On Wednesday May 17, at approximately noon, Sheriff's Deputies stationed at the Sullivan County Government Center in Monticello were called to the Department of Motor Vehicles office. Deputies met with NY State DMV Investigator Jeffrey Whelan who advised that a customer, who was present in the office, had attempted to file for a restricted driver's license due to an insurance lapse.

When the transaction was run, the subject, Amiel Maerling, 52, of Burlingham Road in Pine Bush, was flagged in the DMV computer. An ensuing investigation revealed that Maerling had allegedly applied for several non-driver IDs under different names and dates of birth. The fraudulent transactions had been detected by DMV's “state of the art” facial recognition software.

Amiel Maerling was charged with Offering a False Instrument for Filing and Falsifying Business Records, both Felonies. He was arraigned before Town of Fallsburg Judge Amanda Ward and remanded to the Sullivan County Jail on $15,000 bail pending a future court appearance.