Herbert Leonel Diaz Sentenced For Citizenship Fraud

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, federal court Judge Kenneth D. Bell sentenced Herbert Leonel Diaz, 53, a naturalized citizen born in El Salvador and previously based in Henderson, to eight months behind bars for fraudulently obtaining U.S. citizenship.

Diaz’s sentence is concurrent with the 35-year term he’s already serving in California for sexual offenses against a child, announced U.S. Attorney Dena J. King of the Western District of North Carolina.

According to court records and witness statements, Diaz committed multiple sex crimes against a minor from December 2003 to August 2006 while living in Corona, California. He fled to Henderson, N.C., after his crimes were reported, and applied for citizenship in November 2010. He lied on his application, stating he had never been arrested, only to be apprehended again in North Carolina in 2012.

In 2014, Diaz pleaded guilty to lewd acts with a child and was sentenced to 35 years. In September 2021, he was found guilty of naturalization fraud following a bench trial, which automatically revoked his citizenship.

U.S. Attorney King commended the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Division (ICE-ERO) for their investigation, specifically citing Operation False Haven for its role in Diaz’s conviction. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Smith prosecuted the case on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.

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