J Refugio Medina-Zamarripa, Aggravated Identity Theft, FL 2024

OCALA, FLORIDA – J. Refugio Medina-Zamarripa, a 40-year-old Mexican citizen residing in Mascotte, Florida, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to two years for a brazen scheme involving a fraudulent U.S. passport and aggravated identity theft. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr., following Medina-Zamarripa’s guilty plea on January 13, 2020.

For fifteen years, Medina-Zamarripa successfully lived in the United States under an assumed identity, meticulously building a false life. This involved the acquisition of multiple state-issued identification cards – each a brick in the wall of deception he constructed. The scheme culminated in the procurement of a United States passport, a document he believed would cement his fraudulent existence.

The house of cards began to crumble in 2017 when Medina-Zamarripa attempted to renew his passport. Investigators with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service quickly uncovered the truth: the identity being used belonged to an American citizen residing in Texas, a victim of identity theft whose life had been hijacked. The stolen identity was the foundation of Medina-Zamarripa’s fabricated persona.

This wasn’t a simple case of document forgery; it was a calculated, long-term effort to evade detection and establish a life built on lies. The Department of State investigators, working in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection, pieced together the evidence, exposing the extent of Medina-Zamarripa’s deceit. The investigation revealed a pattern of calculated risk and a willingness to exploit the identity of an unsuspecting American citizen.

Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta successfully prosecuted the case, ensuring that Medina-Zamarripa faced the consequences of his actions. While two years in federal prison is the immediate penalty, the sentence doesn’t end there. Upon completion of his prison term, Medina-Zamarripa will be deported back to Mexico, effectively ending his fifteen-year run from the law.

The case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of identity theft and the lengths individuals will go to circumvent immigration laws. Federal authorities continue to prioritize investigations into passport fraud and identity-related crimes, safeguarding the integrity of U.S. travel documents and protecting American citizens from becoming victims of these predatory schemes. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on related developments.