Florida Man Sentenced for Passport Fraud in New Mexico

Clinton William Yetter, 51, of Gainesville, Fla., is headed to federal prison for lying to obtain U.S. passports under a false name. The 48-month sentence handed down in Albuquerque, N.M., marks the end of a years-long federal case rooted in deception and stolen identity.

Yetter was convicted on charges of making false statements and aggravated identity theft, stemming from two separate passport applications filed in Bernalillo County, N.M. On October 4, 2011, and again on May 2, 2012, Yetter submitted applications using the name of another individual—knowingly providing fabricated information to federal officials.

A four-count indictment returned on May 29, 2013, charged Yetter with two counts of false statements and two counts of identity fraud. The documents laid bare a deliberate scheme to assume another person’s identity for the purpose of securing official government credentials.

With no plea deal to shield him, Yetter entered a guilty plea on May 2, 2016, admitting to all charges. His cooperation did not reduce the consequences—he now faces 48 months behind bars, followed by two years of supervised release as he reenters society under federal watch.

The investigation was led by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the federal agency tasked with protecting American identity and diplomatic integrity abroad. Their probe exposed Yetter’s dual applications and confirmed the fraudulent use of another person’s identity.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec prosecuted the case, securing a sentence that underscores the severity of federal identity crimes. Yetter’s conviction serves as a stark warning: pretending to be someone else to cheat the system carries a steep price in federal court.

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