Acosta-Joaquin Gets 14 Months for SSN Theft

PORTLAND, MAINE – Carlos Rafael Acosta-Joaquin, a/k/a “Kelvin Valle-Alicea,” 31, is headed to federal prison after a jury found him guilty of identity theft and misuse of a Social Security number. U.S. District Court Judge Jon D. Levy handed down a 14-month sentence today, followed by two years of supervised release.

The case, prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James W. Chapman, Jr., revealed a calculated attempt to establish a false identity. Acosta-Joaquin, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, illegally entered the United States via Puerto Rico. He didn’t bother with legal channels; instead, he bought a Social Security card and birth certificate belonging to Kelvin Valle-Alicea, a U.S. citizen of Puerto Rico. This wasn’t some idle purchase – Acosta-Joaquin intended to become Kelvin Valle-Alicea.

The scheme unraveled in 2015 when Acosta-Joaquin, using Valle-Alicea’s stolen identity, received a speeding ticket. He filled out the state court form with the fraudulent information, directly linking him to the Social Security number misuse. Federal investigators say the use of the stolen identity was a brazen attempt to evade detection and establish a foothold in the United States.

Acosta-Joaquin has been cooling his heels in custody since February 24, 2016, initially arrested by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on immigration violations. The following day, federal agents slapped him with the Social Security fraud charges. The evidence presented during the three-day jury trial clearly demonstrated the premeditation and intent behind his actions.

The investigation was a multi-agency effort, involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, and the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Fraud Investigations and Recovery Unit. They worked together to dismantle Acosta-Joaquin’s attempt to live under a false identity.

But the story doesn’t end with the prison sentence. As a condition of his supervised release, Acosta-Joaquin will be required to surrender to immigration authorities immediately upon his release. This ensures that, after serving his time for fraud, he will finally face the consequences of his illegal entry into the country. Expect deportation proceedings to follow. This case serves as a stark reminder that identity theft carries serious federal penalties – and that attempting to evade immigration laws won’t go unnoticed.