PITTSBURGH, PA — Elfego Sanchez-Carranza, a 23-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, pleaded guilty yesterday to identity theft, admitting he stole a U.S. citizen’s name and Social Security number to work at a Pennsylvania tree-trimming company, federal authorities confirmed.
Sanchez-Carranza, who had been living in Frederick, MD, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark R. Hornak to time served. He has been in federal custody since November 10, 2018, and upon completion of his sentence, was handed over to immigration officials for deportation proceedings.
Court records show Sanchez-Carranza used the stolen identity to obtain employment with Pennline, a tree-trimming company headquartered in the Western District of Pennsylvania. He worked under false pretenses from January through November 2018, collecting wages as someone else while in the country illegally.
Prosecutors emphasized that Sanchez-Carranza was never legally permitted to work in the United States under his own name, making the identity theft a necessary step in his employment fraud. The true identity holder, a U.S. citizen, had no connection to the defendant or his criminal actions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy C. Wiegand handled the prosecution. U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady credited the investigative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)/Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General for uncovering and substantiating the fraud.
The case underscores the growing intersection between immigration violations and financial crimes, where stolen identities fuel underground labor networks. Sanchez-Carranza’s swift deportation follows the completion of his federal sentence, but the fallout from his crime may linger for the victim whose personal information was exploited.
Related Federal Cases
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- Rogelio Valencia-Sanchez Indicted for Illegal Re-entry · Pennsylvania
- Deported Alien Luis Alvarez-Arguello Charged With Illegal Re-entry · Pennsylvania
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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