Theresa Wood of New Orleans is walking free on probation after trying to con the U.S. government with a fake passport application for her child—using someone else’s identity and a fraudulent father.
Wood was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to complete 25 hours of community service after pleading guilty to making false statements on a passport application, a federal crime under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1542. The sentence was handed down today by U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon in New Orleans.
Court documents reveal Wood submitted the application using information belonging to another individual. But the scam went deeper: she convinced a co-worker—someone who merely resembled the child’s real father—to pose as the biological parent and sign the paperwork in front of a notary. That document was then submitted to the U.S. Department of State.
Lying on a passport application isn’t a clerical error—it’s a felony. Federal law is clear: falsifying identity, parentage, or any material fact to obtain a passport carries stiff penalties, including fines and imprisonment. In this case, prosecutors opted for probation, but the crime underscores a growing trend of identity manipulation at federal checkpoints.
U.S. Attorney Duane Evans, who oversaw the case, credited the United States Diplomatic Security Service for uncovering the ruse. The agency, tasked with investigating passport and visa fraud, routinely probes cases where individuals attempt to cross borders using falsified family ties or stolen identities.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. prosecuted the case. While Wood avoided jail time, her conviction leaves a permanent mark—a criminal record for defrauding one of the nation’s most guarded identity verification systems.
RELATED: Theresa Wood Sentenced for Passport Fraud Scheme
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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