Antonio C. Paz, Naturalization Fraud, North Carolina 2023

RALEIGH, N.C. - A 70-year-old Moore County man has been sentenced for his role in a naturalization fraud scheme.

Antonio C. Paz, a naturalized citizen of the United States and native of Portugal, was sentenced to three years' probation and a $1,000 fine for making a false statement under oath regarding his naturalization application. Paz's naturalization as a U.S. citizen was also criminally revoked.

According to court records, Paz fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship on November 15, 2013, by answering 'No' to the question, 'Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested,' when in fact he had embezzled thousands of dollars from a North Carolina retirement community where he was employed as a director.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. Agents with ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, assigned to the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force, investigated the case as part of Operation False Haven. Operation False Haven is an ongoing initiative designed to identify and prosecute child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.

Paz's actions demonstrate a blatant disregard for the law and the trust placed in him as a naturalized citizen. The sentence handed down by the court reflects the severity of the offense and serves as a warning to others who may attempt to deceive the system.

Paz's case was investigated as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing initiative aimed at identifying and prosecuting individuals who obtain U.S. citizenship through fraudulent means.

The case against Paz was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00299-1D(3).

The sentence in this case serves as a reminder that the U.S. Attorney's Office will vigorously pursue those who attempt to deceive the system and obtain U.S. citizenship through fraudulent means.

A Moore County man has been sentenced for naturalization fraud, a crime that involved making false statements under oath.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina is committed to protecting the integrity of the naturalization process and ensuring that those who obtain U.S. citizenship do so through honest and lawful means.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ednc/pr/operation-false-haven-moore-county-man-sentenced-naturalization-fraud