NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – In a shocking case of identity theft, a Mexican man was sentenced for using a social security number to obtain employment in Louisiana. Mario Mateo Tomas Jose, a native of Mexico, was sentenced on April 13, 2020 for illegally using a social security number to qualify for employment.
According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations received information that certain individuals had used fraudulent Social Security cards in an initial application to obtain employment. Prior to finalizing employment with their prospective company, the individuals had to report to the Gulf Coast Safety Council, which provides safety courses to applicants applying to work with companies servicing petrochemical processing plants.
On March 30, 2022, Tomas Jose arrived at the Gulf Coast Safety Council office in St. Rose, Louisiana to complete the safety course to finalize his employment with Company “A”. On that day, Tomas Jose presented a fraudulent United States Social Security card bearing the name and United States Social Security number of a United States citizen, which he represented to be his own, in order to obtain employment.
U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon M. Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
Tomas Jose was sentenced to one year of probation and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00 by United States District Court Judge Eldon E. Fallon.
This case highlights the importance of verifying the authenticity of identification documents to prevent identity theft and protect American workers.
Grimy Times reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for further comment, but no response was received at the time of publication.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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