Tampa, Florida – In a shocking turn of events, Juan Ariel Molina-Salles, a 35-year-old Honduran national, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, false representation of a Social Security number, and false claim of United States citizenship for employment purposes in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Molina-Salles faces a minimum penalty of 2 years in federal prison, consecutive to any other prison term, and a maximum term of 12 years’ imprisonment. The charges stem from a series of events that unfolded at a highway construction site in Pinellas County, where Molina-Salles was working under a stolen identity.
According to court documents, Molina-Salles applied for employment with Archer Western-de Moya Group Joint Venture II (Joint Venture) on February 16, 2022, and filled out an I-9 form for use in the E-Verify system. Molina-Salles falsely identified himself as a United States citizen and used another person’s means of identification (V.V.R.) to defeat the E-Verify system.
On the evening of September 22, 2022, Molina-Salles was working at the Joint Venture’s highway construction site in Pinellas County under the stolen identity V.V.R. That night, while operating a front-end loader, Molina-Salles struck and killed Deputy Michael Hartwick of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO).
During an interview with PCSO detectives, Molina-Salles revealed that he was from Honduras and had been in the United States for approximately eight months and was undocumented. He admitted to using the stolen identity to gain employment with Archer Western.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray is prosecuting the case. Molina-Salles is set to be sentenced in the coming weeks, and the maximum penalty for the crimes he faces is 12 years’ imprisonment.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: Violent Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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