Clarion, Iowa—In a gritty federal crime case, Francisco Hernandez-Espinoza, 24, was sentenced to three years in prison for his brazen act of identity theft. The Mexican national, who was illegally residing in the United States, pleaded guilty to misuse of a social security number and aggravated identity theft on December 29, 2016.
Hernandez-Espinoza stole the identity of a U.S. citizen to secure employment in Clarion, Iowa, on June 4, 2012. His crime spree continued until his arrest by immigration agents on November 3, 2016, in Hampton, Iowa. During this time, he was convicted eight times in Iowa and Minnesota for using the victim’s name, including charges of criminal sexual conduct and domestic abuse assault.
The defendant faced justice in Cedar Rapids, where United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade imposed a sentence of 36 months’ imprisonment, along with a fine of $5,000 and a special assessment of $200. Hernandez-Espinoza will also serve a three-year term of supervised release following his prison term.
Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt prosecuted the case, while the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations led the investigation. The court file number for this case is 16-CR-2044-LRR, accessible at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
Hernandez-Espinoza remains in the custody of the United States Marshal’s Service until transportation to a federal prison can be arranged. Follow updates on this case and more at @USAO_NDIA on Twitter.
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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