Jesus Ricardo Espinoza-Suarez, Passport Fraud, Idaho 2016

Passport Fraud Lands Utah Man in Hot Water

Jesus Ricardo Espinoza-Suarez, a 43-year-old man from Layton, Utah, has been charged with passport fraud in Idaho. The charges include false claim to United States citizenship, false statement in an application for passport, and false use of a social security number.

The indictment alleges that Espinoza-Suarez used a name, social security number, and date of birth which were not his own in a passport application in March 2009. Additionally, in 2014, he falsely claimed he was a United States citizen in an application for an Idaho State driver’s license and falsely represented a social security number to be his own on an I-9 application for employment.

The charge of false claim to United States citizenship is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The charge of false statement in application for passport is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The charge of false use of a social security number is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.

Espinoza-Suarez made an initial appearance yesterday on the charges and is scheduled to go on trial on May 17, 2016, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.

The case is being investigated by U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service and U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney as part of a partnership venture between the Social Security Administration Office of General Counsel and the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute social security misuse and fraud.

An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. Espinoza-Suarez is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Boise, Idaho - Jesus Ricardo Espinoza-Suarez, 43, of Layton, Utah, made an initial appearance yesterday on charges of false claim to United States citizenship, false statement in an application for passport, and false use of a social security number.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-id/pr/utah-man-indicted-false-statement-passport-application-and-false-use-social-security