Felix Coc Choc, a 29-year-old Guatemalan national residing in Rogers, Arkansas, has been indicted for making false statements and aggravated identity theft in a sponsorship scam in Louisiana.
According to court documents, Coc Choc submitted an application to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under penalty of perjury to sponsor and obtain custody of a 16-year-old Guatemalan unaccompanied alien child (UAC) who entered the United States illegally in January 2023.
Coc Choc allegedly falsely claimed to be the UAC’s brother and asserted that his own name was J.C.J. as listed on a Guatemala national identification card that he submitted in support of the sponsorship application.
After initially denying that he was using another individual’s identity, Coc Choc admitted to the misrepresentation and then filed a sponsorship application in his true name.
ORR denied this application as a result of the alleged fraud.
Coc Choc is charged with one count of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the false statement count, and a mandatory consecutive penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count.
The charges are the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations.
U.S. Attorney Ellison C. Travis praised the prosecutor and partners for their tireless work on this matter, stating that they are committed to eliminating the exploitation of minors and their families by unscrupulous traffickers.
Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) stated that deliberately attempting to defraud a government program designed to safeguard vulnerable children is a reprehensible act that demands accountability.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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