Identity Thief Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Stealing Victim’s Identity and Obtaining a Loan
OMAHA, Nebraska — Matias Garcia-Paiz, 49, of Guatemala, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for use of an immigration document not lawfully issued and bank fraud, United States Attorney Jan Sharp announced today.
Garcia-Paiz was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. on February 27, 2023. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,133.64 and will begin a 3-year term of supervised release after his release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
Garcia-Paiz will be deported by U.S. immigration authorities after completing his sentence of imprisonment.
The investigation began on April 14, 2021, when investigators received information concerning a complaint of identity theft filed by an out-of-state victim. The victim reported that their Social Security number was used for employment at Smithfield Foods in Omaha and that their name, date of birth, and Social Security number had also been used at Cobalt Federal Credit Union to obtain a vehicle purchase loan in the amount of $16,522.
Investigators obtained the Nebraska Driver’s License number used with the victim’s Social Security for employment at Smithfield Foods. The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles (NEDMV) fraud unit assisted with the investigation by providing photographs of the person to whom the Driver’s License was issued and confirmed that he had used the victim’s name and date of birth.
A comparison of the victim’s biographical information with photographs from the NEDMV revealed the individual in the NEDMV photographs was an imposter. The investigation led to the arrest of Garcia-Paiz on April 30, 2021, upon locating the 2013 Nissan Murano registered under the victim’s name.
The charges against Garcia-Paiz include use of an immigration document not lawfully issued and bank fraud. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Omaha Police Department, and the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles.
Garcia-Paiz had previously been deported in 1989 and had been arrested using his true name on March 9, 1989, at or near Tucson, Arizona.
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Key Facts
- State: Nebraska
- Category: White Collar Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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