Passport Fraud Lands Local Woman in Hot Water
In a shocking turn of events, Emelita Ignacio Arindela, a 43-year-old resident of Mount Desert Island, Maine, was sentenced to time served (10 days) and one year of supervised release for passport fraud.
According to court records, Arindela assumed the name and date of birth of her older sister in order to marry a U.S. citizen in the City of Valenzuela, Philippines in 2000. She then entered the United States under her sister’s identity in 2002 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen using her sister’s identity in 2009. Later that year, she legally changed her name to Emily I. Arindela.
However, her scheme came to an end when she applied for a U.S. passport using her new name and her sister’s date of birth in 2010.
The case was investigated by the Diplomatic Security Service of the U.S. State Department, who uncovered the extent of Arindela’s deceit.
Arindela, also known as “Esperanza Ignacio Arindela,” “Esperanza Hooper,” “Emily I. Arindela,” and “Emily Ignacio Arindela,” pleaded guilty to passport fraud on April 12, 2018.
With her sentence now served, Arindela will be under supervised release for the next year, a reminder that passport fraud will not be tolerated in Maine or anywhere else in the United States.
The investigation serves as a stark reminder of the importance of immigration law and the consequences of falsifying documents.
Crime: Passport Fraud
City/State: Bangor, Maine
Date: April 12, 2018
Sentence: Time served (10 days) and one year of supervised release
Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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