Identity Thief Sentenced to Three Years in Prison
A 24-year-old man from Mexico residing in Hampton, Iowa, has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for stealing the identity of a United States citizen.
Francisco Hernandez-Espinoza, residing in Hampton, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 29, 2016, guilty plea to one count of misuse of a social security number and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to court records, Hernandez-Espinoza illegally used the name and Social Security account number of a United States citizen to obtain employment in Clarion, Iowa, on June 4, 2012.
Hernandez-Espinoza was arrested by immigration agents in Hampton, Iowa, on November 3, 2016, and turned over identification documents, including a birth certificate, all in the name of the U.S. citizen whose identity he knowingly used.
The defendant has a history of using the name of the U.S. citizen, with eight convictions in Iowa and Minnesota between 2011 and 2015, including for criminal sexual conduct and domestic abuse assault.
Hernandez-Espinoza was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment and fined $5,000 by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade in Cedar Rapids.
He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Hernandez-Espinoza is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Related Federal Cases
- Michael Shawn McGuire, Cyberstalking, Iowa 2023 · Iowa
- Michael Shawn McGuire, Cyberstalking, Iowa 2021 · Iowa
- Francisco Hernandez-Espinoza, Identity Theft, Iowa 2024 · Iowa
- Francisco Hernandez-Espinoza, Social Security Number Misuse, Iowa 2016 · Iowa
- Francisco Ramirez-Duran, Illegal Re-entry as a Felon, Iowa 2014 · Iowa
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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