YONI LOPEZ-ROJAS, a 25-year-old citizen of Guatemala, has been sentenced on federal charges for the illegal use of a Social Security number, a crime under Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B). The plea came after a federal investigation exposed his use of a stolen identity to operate within the U.S. workforce, a tactic all too common among undocumented individuals seeking to evade detection.
Lopez-Rojas pleaded guilty to a single-count bill of information, admitting to knowingly using a Social Security number not lawfully assigned to him. The number, tied to no known identity of his, surfaced during a routine audit by federal immigration authorities who flagged discrepancies in employment records linked to his name and aliases.
U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance handed down a sentence of time served—effectively closing the criminal chapter of the case. But freedom won’t last. Immediately after release from federal custody, Lopez-Rojas will be turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for formal removal proceedings. Deportation is all but certain.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, whose agents have intensified scrutiny on identity misuse in the Gulf region. U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans credited DHS with cutting through layers of false documentation to expose the fraud, calling it a “clear threat to national and economic security when stolen identities are weaponized.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Spiro G. Latsis handled the prosecution, building a lean but ironclad case rooted in document trails and database mismatches. No physical evidence was needed—just the cold footprint of a number used where it didn’t belong. That was enough to seal Lopez-Rojas’s fate.
This conviction underscores the federal crackdown on identity fraud tied to immigration violations. While the sentence may seem light, the follow-up with ICE ensures consequences extend beyond the courtroom. For Lopez-Rojas, the cost of borrowing an American number will be a one-way trip back across the border.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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